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Protecting Your Heart
Are You Headed for Heart Disease?If you have 'metabolic syndrome,' the answer is yes. What is this new diagnosis?If you’re heavy around the middle and have high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol and blood sugar , medical researchers want to get your attention. Those symptoms are the hallmarks of a new diagnosis called metabolic syndrome—and people who have it are on a fast track toward a heart attack.Obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol were already well-known risk factors for heart disease. But with the number of overweight and diabetic Americans dramatically rising, researchers looked more closely at a possible linkage. “Calling this a syndrome is a way of helping doctors spot high-risk people as early as possible,” says cardiologist Bruce Silverberg, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “If the family doctor has a heart-to-heart with that heavyset 30-year-old, it could help prevent coronary artery disease 20 years later.” The concept of metabolic syndrome may be most helpful to people with diabetes, says endocrinologist Larry Merkle, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. (Nearly all people with diabetes fit the criteria for the syndrome.) “It puts a new light on diabetes,” Merkle says, “that this is not just a blood sugar problem but a whole set of abnormalities that can have very serious consequences.” Are you Headed for Heart Disease?There’s a gene behind metabolic syndrome, Merkle says, and about 1 in 4 Americans has it. This so-called “thrifty gene” evolved to help early humans survive, storing fat and boosting blood pressure when there wasn’t enough food. “Now that we have too much food and a more sedentary life, the gene is a liability,” he says.Genetics is only part of the story, though—lifestyle plays a much bigger role in the development of heart disease. “Changing to a lower-fat diet, doing regular aerobic exercise and controlling your weight are vital in preventing heart attacks and eventually, heart failure,” Silverberg says. If those aren’t enough, your doctor also can prescribe medications to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. But do you need a new “syndrome” to achieve a more heart-healthy lifestyle? Family physician Eamon Armstrong, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network isn’t convinced. “Some people may be motivated when you put a label on the problem,” he says, “but others begin to see themselves as ‘sick’ and the effect is negative rather than positive.” Also, he says, there hasn’t been enough research on the exact criteria for metabolic syndrome. “How obese is obese? How high is high blood pressure? Until we have the answers, I would rather not call it an illness but instead focus on trying to keep the person healthy.” Whether you call it a syndrome or simply a list of risk factors, if the symptoms sound like you, it’s time to take them seriously. Talking to your doctor and changing your habits could literally save your life. This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
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