Metabolic Syndrome is a major cause of Cardiovascular Disease which increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Also called Syndrome X, it substantially increases the
chances of damaging the cardiovascular system and raises the risk of
developing reversible Pre-Diabetes, which, if neglected, can lead to
Type 2 Diabetes. Men with Metabolic Syndrome may also be more vulnerable
to prostrate cancer.
In addition to all the other risks, women with Metabolic
Syndrome also have higher occurrences of PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian
Syndrome), a disorder where high levels of excess insulin can stimulate
the ovaries to secrete abnormally high levels of testosterone. Excess
levels of this male hormone may prevent the ovaries from releasing an
egg each month, thus causing infertility.
Increased levels of insulin and glucose in the blood
stream of people with Metabolic Syndrome have been proven to inflict
damage on the lining of the arteries. Elevated insulin and glucose also
affect the kidneys� ability to remove salt and cause a greater risk of
blood clot formation. All of these factors raise the likelihood of
developing Cardiovascular Disease, heart attacks and stroke.
Key factors in the development of Metabolic Syndrome are
weight gain and obesity, which, in turn, can be caused by Insulin
Resistance. This latter disorder prevents the efficient conversion of
food into energy because of a vastly reduced number of insulin receptors
on the cell wall. It�s been estimated that a typical healthy person has
20,000 insulin receptor site per cell, while the average overweight
individual can have as few as 5,000. This causes an increase on blood
levels of insulin.
If you have a greatly reduced number of insulin receptor
sites on the cells' surface, your ability to lose weight is severely
compromised. Insulin acts as "a key in a lock", allowing glucose to pass
through the cell wall and be converted to energy. If you have too few
receptor sites, glucose bounces off the cell wall instead of passing
thought the "insulin" door or receptor. As a result, glucose free-floats
in the blood stream, causing elevated levels of blood sugar, which are
sent to the liver. Once there, the sugar is stored as fat throughout the
body, causing weight gain and obesity.
Excess free-floating insulin also has a harmful affect.
It can damage the lining of the arteries and contribute to the
development of atherosclerosis, which is characterized by a dangerous
build-up of plaque on the artery walls. In addition, the imbalance of
insulin can lead to a greater risk of developing heart disease because
it causes your liver to produce increased levels of triglycerides. As
your weight increases, stressors build up on the entire cardiovascular
system. The heart and lungs, for example, have to work harder to
distribute an adequate amount of freshly-oxygenated blood throughout the
body. As well as the increase in triglycerides, there is also a
lowering of "good" HDL cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart
attack and stroke.
Increased insulin and glucose levels in those suffering
from Metabolic Syndrome have also been proven to cause changes in the
kidneys' ability to remove salt from the blood stream, which contributes
to elevated blood pressure. There is an additional increase in the risk
of blood clot formation. All of these are key factors in the
development of Cardiovascular Disease, heart attacks and stroke.
Are you one of the millions suffering from Metabolic
Syndrome who have failed to reverse the symptoms of this condition, no
matter what you've tried? It may not be due to lack of willpower.
Instead, you could be Insulin Resistant, a root cause of Metabolic
Syndrome.
Scientists at the National Institutes of Health,
Stanford University and other research centers have clearly identified
the existence and effects of Insulin Resistance, a biochemical condition
that causes excessive weight gain leading to Metabolic Syndrome. If you
are among the 65% of the overweight population with Insulin Resistance,
your ability to reverse your symptoms and lose weight may not have been
within your control - until now.
This breakthrough in understanding the body's
biochemistry remains relatively unknown, even though Insulin Resistance
has reached epidemic proportions. Your doctor may not have explained the
crucial link between Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, weight
gain and damage to your cardiovascular system .
BOOKS:
The Metabolic Syndrome X
by Gerald M. Reaven, Ami Laws
The Cortisol Connection: Why Stress Makes You Fat and Ruins Your Health ...
by Shawn Talbott
The Insulin-Resistance Diet: How to Turn Off Your Body's Fat-making
by Mary Kay Grossman