“Metabolic syndrome” is the common term for a combination of conditions such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess tummy fat, and abnormal triglyceride levels. It can increase your risk for diseases like stroke, heart disease, and diabetes.
Metabolic syndrome is a serious condition which can lead to early death if left untreated. There are several complications of metabolic syndrome that should be considered.
Potential Complications of Untreated Metabolic Syndrome
* Atherosclerosis – When plaque builds up in your arteries causing narrowing of your arteries, it’s called atherosclerosis. The plaque is usually formed by a build-up of fat and cholesterol. When your arteries are clogged like this, it will reduce the oxygen in your blood, and your blood supply is restricted in this case too. If untreated it can lead to heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.
* Diabetes – This is characterized by high blood sugar and can be type I or type II. Type I is considered irreversible insulin-dependent diabetes. Type II can often be treated with diet and exercise and other medications instead of insulin. There are many problems with diabetes, even when kept under control. It can lead to eye damage, nerve damage, kidney disease, and even limb amputation.
* Heart Attack – Due to clogged arteries you could suffer a heart attack. This is very serious because only 24 percent of patients survive a heart attack – even when they have them at the hospital. Survival rates are as low as six percent for those who have a heart attack outside of the hospital. As you can see, it’s important to control issues with metabolic syndrome if you want to avoid a heart attack.
* Kidney Disease – The main cause of kidney disease is adult onset diabetes or type II diabetes, mentioned above. If you feel like you need to urinate often, you cannot empty your bladder, and you get a lot of urinary infections or have an enlarged prostate, be sure to get checked for kidney disease.
* Stroke – When you have a sudden interruption of blood supply in your brain in the form of a blockage, it can lead to stroke. Some strokes are also caused by burst blood vessels. Most strokes related to metabolic syndrome are due to blockages.
* Fatty Liver Disease – Your liver helps your body digest food properly. It stores energy and removes poisons from your bloodstream too. If you develop fatty liver disease, it simply means that fat has built up in your liver. This is a common condition for alcoholics, but it also happens in people with metabolic syndrome. It can lead to cirrhosis and be life-threatening.
* Peripheral Artery Disease – Also known as PAD, this condition means that you aren’t getting enough circulation to your limbs. It can be a precursor to stroke and heart attack. Plus, some people end up losing a limb if left untreated.
* Cardiovascular Disease – Essentially, any issue involving the heart or blood vessels of the coronary artery is considered a cardiovascular disease. It can lead to high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.
These deadly illnesses and more can be attributed to complications of metabolic syndrome. If you have high blood pressure, high blood sugar, extra fat around your waist, high triglyceride levels, and low levels of good cholesterol (HDL), it’s possible that you have metabolic syndrome. Fortunately, you can treat it with diet and exercise and sometimes medications to avoid more serious complications.
9 Questions to Ask Your Doctor about Metabolic Syndrome
One thing to realize about any health condition is that even though our bodies seem the same, everyone is different. Because of this, medications and diet affect everyone differently. These questions can give you ideas on what to ask, but be sure to also ask specific questions about your case as they arise.
1. What Are the Complications of Metabolic Syndrome? – Each person is at risk for different types of consequences and complications from metabolic syndrome. It could range from heart disease to diabetes to stroke, and depending on how these conditions are managed can inform how much complication it causes.
2. Are There Any Genetic Influences for Me That I Should Be Concerned About? – Each family is different, so you’ll likely need to find out about family history by asking. However, they may not know about the terminology so you might instead look at illnesses like stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease to determine if there is a genetic component. You can learn how to help your children prevent problems using diet and exercise too.
3. Is My Weight a Factor in My Condition? – Asking about weight is a good place to start if you know you’re overweight. If you’re not overweight, it’s likely not a factor for you, but that doesn’t mean your diet isn’t an issue. You can also ask about that. 60% of obese individuals in the USA have metabolic syndrome too.
4. Can You Recommend Any Support Groups to Help Me? – There could be support groups that your doctor knows about local to you that will help. Remember that you can also find some online if you don’t want to go in person.
5. What Are the Warning Signs of Heart Disease? – Asking your doctor to clarify any warning signs that you may have for heart disease and how to combat them is a good thing to do, because it addresses one of the major illnesses associated with metabolic syndrome. The symptoms can be very different for everyone.
6. What Are the Warning Signs of Diabetes? – If you’re not sure about your symptoms, asking about the warning signs to look for if you’re worried about diabetes is a good way to help manage your problem. Urinating a lot, drinking a lot, and feeling a lack of energy should be brought up regardless of test results.
7. What Are Some Ways to Lower My Blood Pressure? – Your doctor may want to prescribe medication but also ask about natural ways to lower your blood pressure like meditation, walking, and even coloring.
8. I’m Confused about Cholesterol; Can You Explain It? – Cholesterol is confusing because they’re always changing the criteria about what is considered a good level. But getting to an understanding of good cholesterol and bad cholesterol and how it relates to illness can help.
9. What Are the Ways I Can Prevent Stroke? – Knowing not only the signs of stroke but also how to prevent them is a good thing, and asking your doctor what they recommend is important because they are most aware of your situation over general advice to eat right, move, and report symptoms.
The best thing to do is to write down the questions you want to ask your health care professional or doctor. You will likely forget while you’re in the office because you’ll feel rushed. If you write down the questions, you can note the answers they give so that you don’t forget anything that is causing you concern.