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“Metabolic" refers to the natural processes key to the body's healthy function. If you have metabolic syndrome, your body doesn’t work the way it should.
Abdominal obesity (belly fat), high blood pressure, high blood sugar, low HDL ("good") cholesterol and high triglycerides (blood fat) all boost your chance for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and stroke.
Metabolic syndrome can contribute to other serious health conditions, too. It’s been linked to brain changes and mental deficits in adults and teens. It can also increase your chances of fatty liver disease, polycystic ovary syndrome and sleep apnea.
There are five risk factors with metabolic syndrome. Risk factors are traits or conditions that raise your chance of getting a disease. They are linked to too much belly fat and problems metabolizing fat and sugar in your diet.
While having any of the risk factors can mean trouble for your health, you need to have three or more to be considered as having metabolic syndrome.
Do you have these risk factors?
If you have it, or any of its risk factors, the good news is there is a lot you can do to get it under control.
While you can’t change inherited risk factors such as genetics or family history, you can control your daily habits. When you make healthy choices in key areas, you may be able to manage the condition or even reverse it.
Start with these steps:
If you think you are at risk for metabolic syndrome, talk to your doctor. Through a routine physical exam and blood tests your doctor can tell you where you stand. They can also suggest lifestyle changes you can make to help you get on your way to better health.
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