Home Fitness What’s your risk of developing Metabolic Syndrome?

What’s your risk of developing Metabolic Syndrome?

In the past decade, Metabolic Syndrome (MS) has been a growing major health issue for the elderly, working adults and even the children. In the United States in 2012, it was estimated that 35 percent of the adult population and 50 percent of those above 59 years old were suffering from MS.

There is no general agreement on the definition, causes and management of MS, especially because certain risk factors are considered to be related to a person’s genetic makeup such as, for example, insulin resistance genetic predisposition. Yet, MS often refers to the presence and coexistence of a set of conditions that increases a person’s risk of future heart disease, stroke and diabetes. These conditions include abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high blood glucose, high levels of triglycerides and bad cholesterol, as well as low levels of good cholesterol.

Most doctors agree that some of these risks for Metabolic Syndrome can be addressed through lifestyle changes, in particular, exercise and weight loss. In fact, identification of these risk factors is extremely useful in guiding clinical management, especially on specific health choices to address obesity and sedentary life habits.

Visual Assessment’s infographic represents a handy quick guide on MS, allowing self-assessment of one’s risk of developing MS.

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