Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic Syndrome comprises a group of related symptoms that are becoming more prevalent in the USA as improper nutrition and the general level of obesity increases. Expanding waistlines, high blood fats and blood pressure, and reduced cellular response to insulin with compensatory elevated insulin levels are the usual signs. This complex is associated with accelerated aging and arterioscerosis, (especially coronary heart disease), adult onset diabetes, and a higher incidence of most other diseases as well.

There are many prior articles on the Caring Medical website that discuss metabolic syndrome. Today I only wish to focus on the safe and effective natural treatment treatment interventions that make this so gratifying to manage. However, the key is to have a patient who understands the concept of preventive medicine and is motivated to change lifestyle habits over the long haul.

Nutritional management is the first order of treatment, and consists of weight loss and metabolic testing for proper diet. The skepticism many physicians demonstrate about the effectiveness of dietary management has much to do with their own lack of expertise in this area, and with the passive mindset of many patients of orthodox physicians who are accustomed to being given a drug to take rather than being required to change their habits. Patient motivation is clearly a problem as well. Essentially the biggest priority of treatment is reduction in abdominal obesity.

A dropping waist measurement is a surer indicator of compliance with a nutritional regimen than the weight readings. I tell these patients to measure their waist circumference at the navel once a week. Once we have tested them for the proper specific diet plan, they can measure their progress by seeing whether their waist measurement is dropping or not. I want these patients to lose weight, and it vitally important that they do so, but that will inevitably follow if fat stores are being released from the abdomen. In most cases of metabolic syndrome, a glucose tolerance test will reveal a delayed response to insulin and higher glucose and insulin levels. This suggests a pre-diabetic scenario, and will call for much lower carbohydrate intake.

Exercise is next in importance. Some experts believe that adequate physical activity is incompatible with the development of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Indeed, most of these patients are quite physically inactive. Increasing activity levels will improve all the relevant parameters of the metabolic syndrome. Most people can walk, or if there are knee or hip problems, a stationery bike or elliptical trainer can be used. Sitting on the couch has to be limited. To a certain extent, physical activity will reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes even if not much weight is being lost. Start with 15 minutes 3 times per week and work up to 45 minutes 5 times per week in addition to increasing the number of steps you take and stairs you climb in between exercise sessions. For those with a heavy predisposition to diabetes, resistance training should be added to aerobic workouts for greater glucose burn.

Supplements and medication take third place, but can be of important benefit to these patients. My goal is to help make the cells more responsive to the action of insulin, so less needs to be excreted to get the job done. Lower insulin levels will help improve all the negative features of the metabolic syndrome. When diet and exercise aren’t enough to drop the blood fat levels, I do NOT use statin drugs. I do use a variety of supplements including plant sterols, pantethine, lecithin, fiber , niacin, and others to deal with the blood lipids.

The final important therapeutic intervention for metabolic syndrome is hormone balancing other than the insulin level problem. Specifically excess estrogen, inadequate progesterone, elevated cortisol, and low testosterone levels can all promote excess body weight and body fat. Comprehensive testing allows  rebalancing of all the other hormone levels.

Metabolic syndrome is increasingly common, and constitutes a huge source of morbidity and mortality in this country. The good news is the team of a motivated patient and competent natural medicine physician can control this condition and prevent all sorts of future problems.