How do I know if I have metabolic syndrome?

If you have three or more of the following factors, you have the metabolic syndrome:

• Large waist measurement—35 inches or more for women,
• 40 inches or more for men (this is also one of the measurements that determine if you need to lose weight)
• Triglyceride level of 150 mg/dL or higher
• HDL cholesterol of less than 50 mg/dL in women, less than 40 mg/dL in men
• Blood pressure of 130/85 mmHg or higher (either number counts as a raised blood pressure)
• Fasting blood sugar of 100 mg/dL or higher

Lifestyle changes are the main treatment for metabolic syndrome. Following a program like Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) can help you reverse or reduce all of the metabolic syndrome's risk factors, which will reduce your risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.

Your first goal is to move toward getting your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) under control. Then you'll focus on the risk factors of the metabolic syndrome.

This answer from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has been reviewed and/or edited by Dr. Robert S. Kaufmann.

Your doctor would take a clinical history and do some blood work. Here is what they might find:

1. a large waistline (35+ inches for women; 40+ inches for men)
2. high triglycerides--this is a type of fat found in the blood (150 mg/dl) or higher
3. low HDL (less than 50 mg/dl for women and 40 mg/dl for men)
4. high blood pressure (anything above 135/85
5. high fasting blood sugar (100+ mg/dl)

About 85% of people with type 2 diabetes also have metabolic syndrome.

Millions of Americans have a health condition that could increase their risk of developing 10 other serious medical problems, and they don't even know it. The condition is called metabolic syndrome (also known as syndrome X or insulin resistance syndrome), and it may affect as many as 47 million Americans.

The list of health problems that metabolic syndrome can lead to is long and concerning. It doubles a person's risk of both heart attack and stroke and also may lead to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), fatty liver disease, cholesterol gallstones, asthma, and even some forms of cancer.

Unfortunately, most of the symptoms of metabolic syndrome operate silently and are hardly noticeable from the outside. Finding out if you have the syndrome requires knowing several health measures obtained only through medical testing. Ask yourself the following questions to help determine whether a doctor's visit is in order:

• Are you overweight?
• Do you carry excess weight around your middle?
• Do you exercise infrequently and eat mostly unhealthful foods?
• Are you over age 60?
• Does someone in your family have diabetes?
• Do you have high blood pressure?
• Do you have heart disease?
• Are you African American or Mexican American?

Answering yes to any of the above questions means that you have at least one personal factor that may be cause for concern.

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