Metabolic Syndrome is often referred to as Syndrome X. While this syndrome may sound a bit mysterious, it is really very common. The term metabolic syndrome actually refers to a group of risk factors that may raise a person’s chances of developing certain health issues such as diabetes or heart disease. Generally speaking, lack of activity and excessive weight can trigger the metabolic syndrome.
However, there are several risk factors that can trigger the metabolic syndrome. In order to be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, a person must have three of the five factors present. The five factors that determine metabolic syndrome are waistline of over 35 cm for women or 40 cm for men, low HDL cholesterol levels, high blood sugar levels, high triglyceride levels, and high blood pressure. Here are ten risk factors that you should know as they can contribute to developing metabolic syndrome.
1. Genetics
In order to determine your risk for developing metabolic syndrome, you should take a close look at your family history. It has been found that metabolic syndrome is linked to family history or genetics. If any of your close relatives have heart disease or diabetes, you may be a candidate for metabolic syndrome. A complete family health history will include information about three generations of your relatives.
This includes your siblings, parents, children, aunts, uncles, grandmas, grandpas, cousins, and your nieces and nephews. Collecting this information may seem daunting, but asking your family for this information can create heartfelt conversations between you.
In addition, knowing your family health history can help to protect your children and the future generations of your family for years to come. The information provided by your family members is extremely important when trying to determine your chances of developing many diseases including metabolic syndrome.
