Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions occurring together and increasing your risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Having one of these conditions contributes to your risk of disease, but in combination, your risk multiplies.

Research into the complex underlying process linking this group of conditions is ongoing. As the name suggests, metabolic syndrome is tied to the body's metabolism, possibly to a condition called insulin resistance.

What is Metabolic Syndrome?

Not all experts agree on the definition of metabolic syndrome. Doctors have called it many names, including syndrome X and insulin resistance syndrome. Whatever it's called, and however it's defined, this collection of risk factors is apparently becoming more prevalent.

In general, metabolic syndrome includes 3 or more out of the following 5 conditions:
- Abdominal Obesity (a waistline of more than 100 cm for men and 90 cm for women)
- High Triglycerides (over 1.7 mmol/L)
- Low HDL (good) Cholesterol (less than 1.0 mmol/L for men and 1.3 mmol/L for women)
- Elevated Blood Pressure (over 130/85)
- High Fasting Glucose (more than 6.1 mmol/L)