Metabolic Syndrome
(Syndrome X · Insulin Resistance Syndrome)
In this condition factsheet:
The Facts on Metabolic Syndrome
A person has metabolic syndrome when they have a combination of 3 or more certain health risks. These health risks include:
- high blood pressure
- high blood sugar levels
- excess body weight around the waist
- low levels of "good" cholesterol (HDL)
- high levels of triglycerides (a type of fat found in the blood)
Each of these factors alone can increase a person's risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. However, the risk is much higher when these factors are found in combination.
Approximately 1 in 5 Canadians have this condition, although the rate is higher for certain groups of people. For example, people of Indigenous and South Asian descent have higher rates of metabolic syndrome than Caucasians.
Other major risk factors that may lead to the development of metabolic syndrome include:
- age (the risk of metabolic syndrome increases as you get older)
- a family history of type 2 diabetes
- a sedentary lifestyle
- other medical conditions including high blood pressure, heart or blood vessel disease, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (a condition where a woman's body produces too much male hormones) and fatty liver disease
- smoking
Causes of Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is believed to develop due to insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas (an organ located near stomach). It helps blood sugar enter cells, where it is used for energy. With insulin resistance, the body fails to recognize the insulin that is produced, causing the sugar to accumulate in the blood instead of being absorbed into other cells. Because blood sugar levels remain high, the pancreas keeps producing more and more insulin, leading to high insulin levels. While blood sugar levels are not high enough to be classified as diabetes, they do increase the risk of developing serious health problems.
Scientists are not certain why insulin resistance develops but they believe it may be partly inherited. They do know, however, that being overweight and inactive contributes to the development of metabolic syndrome.
Symptoms and Complications of Metabolic Syndrome
In general, few people have any noticeable signs or symptoms. However, the main characteristics of metabolic syndrome are:
- excess body weight (usually around the stomach)
- high blood pressure
- low level of "good" cholesterol in the blood
- high level of triglycerides (fats) in the blood
- resistance to insulin (high blood sugar)
Although you may not notice any changes in the way you feel, having metabolic syndrome dramatically increases the risk of serious health problems including diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. In fact, the more health risks you have, the more likely you are to develop these conditions.
