Signs of Metabolic Syndrome: What is metabolic syndrome?What are the signs of Metabolic Syndrome, Syndrome X or Metabolic X Syndrome?
This is an easy one...NOT! Highly respected medical bods all over the world still haven't decided to bang heads together over this yet. Who knows if it has anything to do with giant massive egos or whether the minuscule criteria differences really do count? But, leaving behind the giant egos of the great and accredited, I've decided to sort this mess out once and for all (hey, my ego's only a little bit massive by comparison). What is metabolic syndrome x and have I got it?Metabolic X Syndrome reminds me of hands played in the game of poker. Do you know poker? There are 52 cards in a deck, and you only get to use, say for argument's sake, five cards at a time. In order to score highly and win the game, you must have the right combination of cards, or medical conditions, in your hand. Certain combinations give you better chances at winning. In the case of metabolic syndrome, metabolic syndrome x or insulin resistance, the payout is diabetes and heart disease. Kerching!If I have high blood pressure and some skin tags does that mean I have syndrome X?If you have slightly high blood pressure and a couple of skin tags, this is not a winning hand. It barely even scores as a pair of twos in the game of winning metabolic syndrome x.Surely I have Metabolic Syndrome now: I've got high cholesterol AND high blood pressure...Now, if you get your blood pressure up a bit, grow some discolouration around your skin tags and then throw in high levels of bad cholesterol (triglyceride), you're scoring higher; you're involving your blood circulation and your liver's joined in. You're getting closer to playing at the big boys' table.
Unlike poker, the rules haven't really been carved in stone; some experts believe just taking medication to reduce cholesterol counts the same as actually having high triglyceride. This is probably because some medications reduce total cholesterol (including good cholesterol, which cleans gunk from arteries and helps prevents clots).
Many people with diabetes are put on statins (to lower cholesterol) as a precaution, but having diabetes is one of the ace cards anyway; more than 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are thought to have metabolic syndrome x. Do your genes come in apple shapes?Big players score highly in other areas too. Your genes determine what shape you're gonna be. Having an apple-shaped body (big belly) usually involves having a relatively big waist measurement. They still haven't pinned this down exactly but let's say waist measurements over 35” for a woman or 40” for a man are considered risky territory.I don't know if my fasting blood glucose levels are high...An important factor for metabolic syndrome x is having high fasting blood glucose levels. If you have type 2 diabetes, you already have this card played, but if you don't have diabetes, you may have insulin resistance. Your fasting glucose levels will be high as well as your levels of insulin. You won't know this unless you go for a blood test. Ask your doc if you suspect you may be secretly playing this card, which may be likely if you are overweight...I'm pleasantly plump...or chubby...or a little bit fat...ok, I'm fatter than that...Being fat is a major contributor. It doesn't even matter where you're storing fat. For example, you could be non-apple-shaped but still carry lots of fat on your body. In the game of metabolic syndrome, your fat card scores the same as (if not higher than) an apple-shape.I think I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome too...Do you have a beard for no apparent reason? If so, you may have pcos. Polycystic ovaries count as another card that can be used, but only if you're a woman.What was your metabolic syndrome x score?How did you do?
The higher the number of cards you play from this selection, the greater your chances are of developing heart disease and diabetes. As far as games go, I can think of better ones. Maybe it's best if you and your GP can work out a system which puts some cards back in the deck. High blood sugar symptoms can show signs of metabolic syndrome
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