Metabolic Syndrome: Drugs, Causes, Symptoms, etc.
Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that can increase a person’s risk of heart disease, stroke, or diabetes.
Examples include high blood sugar levels, excess fat around the waist, and unusual increases in cholesterol levels. In this syndrome, these various conditions occur simultaneously.
If you only have one of the conditions listed, you cannot say that you have metabolic syndrome. However, this does not mean you are not at risk for more serious diseases.
Metabolic syndrome is a non-communicable disease.
If you have this syndrome or only experience one of the conditions, you must immediately make lifestyle changes to become healthier in order to slow down or even prevent the onset of the disease.
How common is metabolic syndrome?
Generally, metabolic syndrome is experienced by people who have entered old age. Even so, this syndrome can also occur in children and young people.
Usually, this syndrome has no obvious symptoms. The reason is, health problems such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol are conditions that appear slowly.
Therefore, you need to do tests such as blood tests and check your blood pressure regularly to find out if you have any of these diseases.
Some people who have diabetes may experience symptoms of high blood sugar which include increased thirst, increased frequency of urinating, especially at night, and fatigue.
Meanwhile, people who have recently experienced high blood pressure may experience headaches, dizziness, or nosebleeds that are more than usual.
When to see a doctor?
You should check with your doctor or dietitian for advice on diet or exercise if you:
If you want to know your cholesterol level, you can do a test of HDL (good cholesterol), LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides at the nearest health center or hospital.
Causes and risk factors
What causes metabolic syndrome?
The exact cause of the metabolic syndrome is unknown. However, this syndrome is closely related to a condition called insulin resistance.
Please note, insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas organ. Its existence serves to help the body absorb sugar from food.
Normally, the digestive system works to break down the food you eat into sugar (glucose). Then insulin will help the body’s cells to absorb sugar, then make it a source of energy.
In people who have insulin resistance, the body’s cells do not respond normally to insulin, so glucose cannot be absorbed by the cells easily.
As a result, the level of glucose in your blood increases even though your body has produced a lot of insulin.
This in turn can lead to diabetes, in which your body can’t work with insulin to regulate blood glucose in the normal range.
What are the risks of developing metabolic syndrome?
Factors that increase your risk for metabolic syndrome include the following.
Having no risk factors does not mean you cannot develop this syndrome. The above factors are for reference only. For more details, please consult a doctor.
Drugs & Medicines
What are the usual tests for metabolic syndrome?
Doctors will usually diagnose this syndrome through blood tests and cholesterol tests.
A person can be diagnosed with this syndrome if after undergoing a number of tests, three risk factors among the results indicate that you are in the risk group.
The following are various risk factors to consider.
Measure the waist circumference
Since the accumulation of excess fat around the stomach can make you more at risk for various diseases, waist circumference should be considered in making a diagnosis.
The risky waist size in men is more than 100 cm. Whereas for women the reference is more than 90 cm.
Triglyceride levels
Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood. A person can be said to be more at risk of developing metabolic syndrome when the triglyceride level reaches 150 milligrams per deciliter or more.
HDL levels
HDL cholesterol is known as good coelesterol, because it helps remove bad cholesterol from your arteries.
If the HDL cholesterol level is less than 50 milligrams per deciliter, then there is a possibility that you have this syndrome.
High blood pressure
If the blood pressure reaches 130/85 mmHg, then someone is included in the risk group. Even if only one of the two numbers is high, you are still at risk for metabolic syndrome.
Fasting blood sugar levels
Normal fasting blood sugar levels are less than 100 milligrams per deciliter. If the blood sugar level is between 100 and 125, then the patient will be considered prediabetes.
If the number is 126 or more, it means diabetes.
Keep in mind, about 85% of people who have type 2 diabetes also experience metabolic syndrome.
What are the treatment options for metabolic syndrome?
Your doctor may prescribe cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins (lovastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin, atorvastatin, and rosuvastatin).
Statin drugs are usually given to patients who have diabetes, heart disease, or have low HDL cholesterol levels.
The doctor will also give other medicines that can reduce the risk of heart attack, lower blood pressure, prevent blood clots, and reduce the workload of your heart.
Take the medicine regularly and in accordance with the directions from the doctor. Do not change the dose without the doctor’s knowledge.
Home remedies
In the treatment of the metabolic syndrome, effort and persistence are required. Some of the life changes needed to help treat metabolic syndrome include the following.
- Changing your diet to lower cholesterol includes consuming unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats.
- Reducing salt consumption.
- Daily moderate exercise, brisk walking for 30 minutes or running for 15 minutes can provide important health benefits.
- Lose weight by having an appropriate diet.
Check with your doctor regularly to monitor your disease and health condition. You can also measure blood pressure and have regular blood tests to monitor your blood sugar level.
If you have any questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your problem.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
