Understanding Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of health conditions. It increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the National Cholesterol Education Program estimate that more than 30 percent of people in the United States have metabolic syndrome (CDC, 2017).

Obesity, smoking, and family history of diabetes are key influencing factors. Insulin resistance also plays a role. This occurs when muscle and liver cells do not respond well to insulin. As a result, they cannot use glucose from the blood for energy.

Certain populations are at higher risk for developing metabolic syndrome. ,These include women who had diabetes during pregnancy, individuals with a family history of diabetes, and those who have had nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, polycystic ovary syndrome, or sleep apnea (Zhang et al., 2019).

To a great extent, Metabolic syndrome is provoked by obesity (Rochlani et al., 2017). This is
because obesity or weight gain causes an intra-abdominal fat accumulation characterized by a
large waist circumference (Zhang et al., 2019). In other words, the prevalence of metabolic
syndrome rises dramatically as the rate of obesity increases. It increases the
risk of developing heart attack because it increases blood pressure, high blood sugar, and excess
fat around the waist (Zhang et al., 2019). The syndrome increases the risk of stroke by causing
insulin resistance in the body. The pharmacology interventions of this syndrome include
the use of LDL cholesterol-lowering agents such as statins. Also, bariatric surgery has proved
effective for treating Metabolic syndrome (Zhang et al., 2019). The syndrome can be prevented
by eating healthy, exercise, and losing weight. Also, bariatric surgery has proved
effective for treating Metabolic syndrome (Zhang et al., 2019). The syndrome can be prevented
by eating healthy, exercise, and losing weight. APA