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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Having metabolic syndrome means you have three or more disorders related to your metabolism at the same time, including:
- Obesity, particularly around your waist (having an "apple shape")
- A systolic (top number) blood pressure measurement higher than 120 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or a diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure measurement higher than 80 mm Hg
- An elevated level of the blood fat called triglycerides and a low level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol — the "good" cholesterol
- Resistance to insulin, a hormone that helps to regulate the amount of sugar in your body
Having one component of metabolic syndrome means you're more likely to have others. And the more components you have, the greater are the risks to your health.
When to see a doctor
If you know you have at least one component of metabolic syndrome — such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or an apple-shaped body — you may have the others and not know it. It's worth checking with your doctor. Ask whether you need testing for other components of the syndrome and what you can do to avoid serious diseases.
- Meigs JB. The metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance syndrome or syndrome X). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 31, 2009.
- Metabolic syndrome. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/ms/ms_all.html. Accessed Aug. 31, 2009.
- Katzmarzyk PT, et al. The importance of waist circumference in the definition of metabolic syndrome. Diabetes Care. 2006;29:404.
- Steinberger J, et al. Progress and challenges in metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents. Circulation. 2009;119:628.
- Grundy SM, et al. Diagnosis and management of the metabolic syndrome: An American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute scientific statement. Circulation. 2005;112:2735.
- Aim for a healthy weight. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/risk.htm. Accessed Aug. 31, 2009.
- deKoning L, et al. Waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio as predictors of cardiovascular events: Meta-regression analysis of prospective studies. European Heart Journal. 2007;28:850.
