Prevent and lower your risk of metabolic syndrome by making healthy choices. Find out your risk for metabolic syndrome using our interactive "METABOLIC SYNDROME CALCULATOR"
Metabolism? Why is it Important?
Metabolism is a biochemical process where the body converts food into energy. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of factors that increase the risk of heart disease and other health problems such as diabetes and stroke. Metabolic syndrome is often linked to insulin resistance where the body finds it difficult to manage sugar levels.
Metabolic syndrome risk factors include -
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Abdominal obesity
- High triglyceride levels
- Low HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol level
- High fasting blood sugar.
- Women (after menopause) have a higher risk than men
- Body mass index(BMI) greater than 25
- Some medical conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome, psoriasis, sleep disorder
- Smoking and alcohol
- Self or family history of the above conditions
Having one of these factors does not necessarily mean having metabolic syndrome. However more than one of these factors increases the risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
Our
Metabolic Syndrome Calculator follows a criteria-based approach rooted in the trusted
IDF and
NCEP ATP III guidelines.
Assessing key factors such as gender, waist size, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting glucose, determine metabolic syndrome risk without needing a Z-score or severity score. This method ensures an accurate, straightforward assessment of your metabolic health.
The
IDF Metabolic Syndrome Criteria, established by the
International Diabetes Federation, are guidelines used to identify individuals at risk for metabolic syndrome. A diagnosis is confirmed when a person exhibits central obesity along with any two of the following factors: elevated triglycerides, reduced HDL cholesterol, increased blood pressure, or raised fasting plasma glucose levels (
1✔).
What are the Main Causes of Metabolic Syndrome?
Excess weight is the major contributor to metabolic syndrome. Fat cells, concentrated in the abdominal region can increase the levels of free fatty acids. These free fatty acids cause an imbalance of other chemicals and hormones affecting the effectiveness of insulin which causes insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance increases levels of bad LDL cholesterol and lowers levels of good HDL cholesterol. This in turn elevates blood pressure and triglyceride levels.
The presence of extra fat can cause fat cells to produce inflammatory chemicals that lead to plaque accumulation in blood vessels. It also leads to insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and heart-related diseases.
Management of Metabolic Syndrome
Managing metabolic syndrome requires multiple approaches such as combining lifestyle changes with medication and regular checkups. The main goal of treating metabolic syndrome is to lower the risk of heart disease and prevent type 2 diabetes.
Lifestyle changes are the first line of treatment for metabolic syndrome. Healthy lifestyle changes include (2✔)
BMR and RMR in Metabolic Syndrome
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) are essential for understanding metabolic syndrome. BMR measures the calories needed for basic bodily functions at rest.
Whereas RMR includes additional energy for digestion and minor activities, making it slightly higher.
Both rates are influenced by age, gender, body composition, and genetics. A low BMR or RMR can lead to weight gain, increasing the risk of metabolic syndrome.
FAQs
1. What is the risk of apple shaped body for metabolic syndrome?
Apple-shaped risk refers to a person, who has a large waistline or an apple-shaped body. This occurs when fat accumulates around the waist.
Abdominal fat is more metabolically active and can lead to inflammation and insulin resistance, increasing metabolic syndrome risk even if BMI is normal. The apple shaped waistline has more white fat making them more at risk for metabolic syndrome (3✔).
2. What are the symptoms and signs of metabolic syndrome?
There might be no presenting symptoms in a person who suffers from metabolic syndrome. However, if a person has a large waistline along with dark skin areas on the back of the neck and in the armpits you should suspect the possibility of metabolic syndrome.
The other signs to look for include high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high bad cholesterol, and low good cholesterol.
3. Which is the best diet for metabolic syndrome?
Two diets are recommended for metabolic syndrome. They are the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet and the Mediterranean diet.
These diets limit the consumption of unhealthy fats and include healthy fruits, vegetables, fish, and whole grains (4✔).
4. What is the best exercise for metabolic syndrome?
Aerobic training is known to be effective in treating metabolic syndrome. Aerobic exercises are more effective than resistance training. Along with diet and lifestyle modifications aerobic training can be more beneficial (5✔).
5. Are eggs good for metabolic syndrome?
Research suggests that consuming 4-7 eggs per week is associated with a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome. However, consuming 2 or more eggs does not reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome (6✔).
6. Can a person with a normal BMI be at risk for metabolic syndrome?
Yes, persons with normal BMI can get metabolic syndrome. Rather than considering only weight, there are other factors like high blood pressure, elevated fasting blood sugar, abnormal cholesterol levels (particularly low HDL or high LDL cholesterol), and increased triglyceride levels to diagnose metabolic syndrome. A minimum of three of these risk factors are required to diagnose metabolic syndrome (7✔)
