Treatment For Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors that can cause stroke, type 2 diabetes, and stoke. It is characterized by central obesity, high levels of glucose in fasting, high blood pressure, high levels of triglyceride and low levels of HDL (good cholesterol).¹ If it is not managed in time, it can cause complications like heart attack, kidney damage, and others. It is caused by an aggressive lifestyle, inappropriate sleep, bad eating habits, and low physical activity.² It can be managed easily by lifestyle modification, diet modification, weight reduction, regular exercises, and others discussed below.

Once an individual is diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, the treatment measures aim to remove the underlying cause and reduce the risk factors that can cause heart problems. It can be done by lifestyle modification, weight reduction, changing eating habits, regular exercises, and medicines.

Lifestyle Modifications- the best way to treat metabolic syndrome is to reform the aggressive lifestyle. Smoking should be stopped and alcohol consumption should be reduced. One should eat at the right time. Disturbed Sleeping patterns should be modified. One should sleep at least 6 hours a day to avoid any health hazards.

Weight Reduction- being overweight especially having belly fat is the main risk factor of metabolic syndrome. Extra efforts should be done to reduce weight through exercises and diet management. Some physicians go for cosmetic surgery to remove fat (liposuction). However, scientific studies say; liposuction has no definite impact on cholesterol, insulin resistance or blood pressure.³

Diet Modification- diet modification is the first line of treatment for metabolic syndrome. Mediterranean diet is the most recommended diet for metabolic syndrome. It includes food rich in protein, low in fat and a reasonable amount of carbohydrates. It is also a low-fat diet. It assists in the reduction of body weight, reduction in levels of blood pressure, triglycerides and sugar which result in the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome.⁴

Regular Exercises- exercises have a positive effect on metabolic syndrome. It not only helps to reduce weight but it lowers down blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and insulin sensitivity. The exercises should be regular for at least 30 minutes a day for 5 days. It can also prevent or reverse metabolic syndrome. According to the American Heart Association, 150 minutes of exercises every week can provide a lot of health benefits. Brisk walking is the best way to control risk factors.⁵

Management Of Stress- yoga, physical activity, and other measures should be adopted to manage stress levels which can delay complications of metabolic syndrome.⁶

Medicines – medicines are recommended for high-risk groups who have high blood glucose levels, high blood pressure and overweight those are not affected by lifestyle changes. The medicines that are prescribed for different risk factors seen in metabolic syndrome are-

Metformin- diabetes can be controlled by this medicine. However, it cannot be used as preventive medicine for diabetes.

ACE inhibitors- they are prescribed to lower down blood pressure. It is also helpful in reducing the levels of insulin resistance and complications of type 2 diabetes.

Aspirin- low dose aspirin can lower down triglycerides and risk of heart ailments and stroke.⁷

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors that trigger heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. The person with metabolic syndrome may have type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke at the same time. This syndrome is also known as syndrome X, dysmetabolic syndrome and insulin resistance syndrome. It is named insulin resistance syndrome because the body is incapable to utilize insulin to burn glucose and fat in the same time.

Metabolic syndrome is a set of risk factors that tend to cause heart disease, strokes and type 2 diabetes. Metabolic syndrome is can be treated by lifestyle modification, weight reduction, stress management, regular exercises and medicines like metformin and others as discussed above.

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Also Read:

• Can Strength Training Protect You From Metabolic Syndrome?
• How Do You Prevent Metabolic Syndrome?
• What Are The 5 Risk Factors For Metabolic Syndrome?
• What Are The Components Of Metabolic Syndrome?
• What Not To Eat When You Have Metabolic Syndrome?
• What Percentage Of Americans Have Metabolic Syndrome?