by Victor Mushimbami - Wednesday, 29 June 2022, 9:15 AM METABOLIC SYNDROME


Be careful with what you eat! (Nuru -Photo)


Introduction

   Metabolic syndrome is not only a problem of the USA or Europe, but a global problem that affects even the poorest nations around the world. Some of these nations are in Africa. A study shows that "by the year 2030, it is expected that 7 out of 10 deaths worldwide will be attributable to chronic diseases, with metabolic syndrome and resultant cardiovascular disease accounting for the largest share" (Michael and Rajesh, 2012, p. 11).

   The same study also shows that the risks of coronary heart disease and stroke are similar worldwide. (Michael and Rajesh, 2012).

What is Metabolic Syndrome?

   I will quote two definitions from two different sources, and then explain more.

  According to Michael and Rajesh (2012), "most think of the metabolic syndrome as a multiplex risk factor for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes that reflects the clustering of the individual risk factors due to abdominal obesity and insulin resistance" (Metabolic syndrome, p. 12). 

   Anthony et al. (2022) add that "Metabolic Syndrome (Mets) is a severe medical complication associated with the use of second generation antipsychotics (SGA) that can result in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and type 2 diabetes".

   Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that increase the risks of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. It is also known as "insulin resistance". Why is it called that? To answer that, let us briefly talk about "insulin resistance".

INSULIN RESISTANCE

   Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas. It works with other hormones to regulate glucose in the bloodstream. The food we eat is absorbed by the cells into the bloodstream, and then the pancreas secretes insulin for further instructions. This glucose is then converted into energy by our cells, muscles, and fat cells. This energy is stored for future use. (Nemeh and Longe, 2021).

   When our body tissues fail to respond to insulin, glucose starts building up in the bloodstream and could also block the flow. (FamilyDoctor, 2020)

   Once the blood flow is blocked, the brain function could be disturbed. This could lead to stroke, because the brain could not receive oxygen and nutrients from the blood. This could also lead to diabetes and heart disease. If diabetes is not well treated, it could lead to coma or death.

   Metabolic syndrome is the term used to describe risk factors for heart disease. FamilyDoctor (2020) gives us these risk factors as follows: "including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes" (para. 1).

   Diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure are all problems that are associated with "insulin resistance". All of these are heart disease risk factors. When these problems occur at the same time, they are known as "metabolic syndrome" or "syndrome X". In most cases, people with type 2 diabetes also have "metabolic syndrome". (FamilyDoctor, 2020).

   Type 1 diabetes happens when there is an attack within the body on cells that produce insulin. This attack disrupts the secretion of insulin. People with this kind of diabetes depend on "insulin tablets or injections". Type 2 diabetes is what we usually hear about and it is what I am talking about in this blog.

   Before we go to the other part of this research, metabolism is simply the process our body uses to obtain energy from the food we eat. (Anna, 2022).

SYMPTOMS OF METABOLIC SYNDROME

It has no clear symptoms, but one of them could be gaining weight around your waist.

However, we cannot deny the fact that the problems that are related to “insulin resistance” have symptoms. For example, blood pressure. It could cause headaches as one of the symptoms; frequent urination and unusual thirst could be symptoms of diabetes. (FamilyDoctor, 2020). 

Walking is part of exercises!

Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome

   Maintain a healthy diet and weight. Exercise is one of the ways to maintain a healthy weight. It is advisable to do 150 minutes of exercise per week or two days per week. For effective results, eat healthy food while exercising. Avoid highly processed, fast food. Limit it to 10-20 percent of your diet.

   Avoid consuming too much salt. Eat less salt and exercise more. It will help you lower your blood pressure. Let me make it simple for you: exercise can be walking, running, or stretching your muscles. Just keep your body active and avoid watching too much TV. It makes you sit for too long.

   Manage your stress levels. Focus on the areas where you have control. This will make it easier to solve and deal with any situation, because you have the ability to change it. I always tell my wife to avoid other people's behavior, because it is difficult to change your friends' behavior.

   If you smoke, quit smoking. Smoking increases the risk of heart disease (Alice, 2012).

   According to a 2014 clinical report, as Alice (2018) puts it, "a Mediterranean diet supplemented with either extra-virgin olive oil or nuts not only helped prevent metabolic syndrome, but was more likely to reverse the syndrome".

   Remember, in science, we don't just pick up information, we do experiments on them, to find out whether the solution works. This is what we call giving explanations that should be tested. Try to do an experiment on the above.

   Don't forget to keep your body active. If a healthy lifestyle fails, visit a doctor. He or she could prescribe some medication.

Conclusion

  Obesity, lack of exercise, and unhealthy diet are some of the causes of metabolic syndrome. To be clear, they are our main causes of metabolic syndrome. The treatment addresses the main causes of this syndrome. This means that some of the treatment above deals with both the cause and the symptoms.

References

Anthony J.P. Trigueiro, Jeffery Ramirez, Erin Hennessey and Mirjeta Beqiri. (2022 ). Metabolic Syndrome. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services. DOI: http://cd203hhkv.mp02.y.http.dx.doi.org.proxy.lirn.net/10.3928/02793695-20220314-01

Familydoctor.org. (2020). Metabolic Syndrome. gale.com/apps/doc/A692657334/HWRC?u=lirn17237&sid=bookmark-HWRC&xid=11c288d0

RelayClinical Education. (2012). Metabolic Syndrome. gale.com/apps/doc/A281566857/HWRC?u=lirn17237&sid=bookmark-HWRC&xid=5fbb9c57

Smith, A. (2022). Metabolic Syndrome. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/is-diabetes-a-metabolic-disorder#diagnosis

Margret A. PhD. (2018). Metabolic Syndrome. gale.com/apps/doc/CX3662600729/HWRC?u=lirn17237&sid=bookmark-HWRC&xid=0674db55

 Nemeh, K. H. & Longe, J. L. (2021). Metabolic Syndrome. The Gale Encyclopedia of Science.

Michael J. B. & Rajesh, T. (2012). Metabolic Syndrome. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/univ-people-ebooks/detail.action?docID=934253

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