Metabolic syndrome is something nearly anyone can track to identify trouble with their health. Showing up first in a person’s weight and waist circumference measurement, metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of risk factors linked to overweight and obesity. These risk factors increase a person’s chance for heart disease and other health problems including diabetes and stroke. Metabolic means the biochemical processes involved in the body’s normal functioning. Risk factors are behaviors or conditions that increase someone’s chance of getting a disease. ^[1]

Every event in the body is registered in an order by the brain. Everything we do and think has impact on us. Although we consider life threatening events a high priority, what we may not consider enough is the risks that happen due to our bad habits and choices. Eating wrong and too much food brings excess weight and trouble. Accumulated weight can bring metabolic syndrome and high risk for disease. Checking ourselves for metabolic syndrome risk may be one of the most important and easiest things we can do for our health.

Meeting the criteria for metabolic syndrome, three or more of these symptoms double the normal risk of heart disease and diabetes:

1. Large waistline: excess fat in the abdominal waist area is a greater risk factor for heart disease than excess fat in the hips and other places on the body. Look for belly fat. Belly fat is one sign of metabolic syndrome.
2. A higher than normal triglyceride level in the blood (or if a person is taking medicine to treat high triglycerides). Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the blood. A higher than normal triglyceride level is one sign of metabolic syndrome.
3. A lower than normal level of HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) in the blood (or if a person is taking medicine to treat low HDL). HDL is considered good cholesterol because it lowers a person’s chances of heart disease. Low levels of HDL increase the chances of heart disease. A lower than normal HDL level is one sign of metabolic syndrome.
4. Higher than normal blood pressure (or if a person is taking medicine to treat high blood pressure). Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers, usually written one before the other, such as 120/80. The top or first number, called the systolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in the bloodstream when the heart beats; it is the heart at work. The bottom or second number, called the diastolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in the bloodstream between heartbeats when the heart is relaxed; it is the heart at rest. A higher than normal blood pressure is one sign of metabolic syndrome.
5. Higher than normal fasting blood sugar (glucose) or if a person is taking medicine to treat high blood sugar. Mildly high blood sugar can be an early warning sign of diabetes. 70% of all type II diabetes (non-insulin dependant) is caused by being overweight and obese; diabetes is a disease we can cause ourselves. It is a disease we mostly can prevent with smart lifestyle changes. A higher than normal fasting blood sugar is one sign of metabolic syndrome.

If a person has three or more of these five signs and symptoms, the criteria for having metabolic syndrome have been reached. If we know about metabolic syndrome then we can make a simple easy plan to get our bodies back in shape. Getting into shape and staying in shape simply requires a daily conscious easy plan. After we make our plan for each day, we just need to do it!

Belly fat in excess is a sign of potential big trouble. Abdominal obesity ^[3] is characterized by waist circumference measurement that indicates excessive abdominal fat – belly fat. Elevated waist circumference according to metabolic syndrome criteria is 40 inches (102 cm) in men and 35 inches (88 cm) in women. Asian and small statured men and women have different guidelines: men’s waist measurement is considered elevated at 35inches (90 cm); women’s waist measurement is considered elevated at 31inches (80 cm).

Three or more metabolic syndrome risk factors indicate a person has metabolic syndrome. If a person has metabolic syndrome, that person is at big risk for diseases, particularly:

1. Heart disease
2. Stroke
3. Type II diabetes

1. Body Mass Index which is height and weight ratio
2. Waist measurement is determined by using a cloth tape measure

1. Blood Pressure
2. HDL Blood Test
3. Triglycerides Blood Test
4. Fasting Blood Sugar Blood Test

Knowledge about these five signs and symptoms of BMI, waist measurement, blood pressure, and HDL and triglycerides blood tests helps us to make plans to correct what is wrong and continue good practices and habits if the results are within normal ranges. Knowing if we have metabolic syndrome is the first step to stay of out of trouble and preserve health. If any one of these five areas is outside of the normal range, we can make changes to fix what is wrong. If they are within normal ranges, we can make sure we routinely monitor ourselves to spot any signs of trouble to preserve health. Metabolic syndrome is like a health alert, warning us to make changes to prevent the diseases it can bring.

References:

1.	US National Institutes of Health (NIH; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
2.	US National Institutes of Health (NIH; National Heart, Lung, an Blood Institute (NHLBI)
3.	Government: NCEP;ATP III. JAMA.2001;285(19):2486-2497)