Am I at risk for metabolism related diseases?

To answer this question, one needs a fasting lipid (blood fats) test, a blood pressure reading, and a measurement of your waist circumference AT THE BELLY BUTTON will allow you to determine how many risk factors you have for the metabolic syndrome.  Having any risk factors is associated with increased risk of many diseases including:

A fasting insulin level will help determine if you have insulin resistance syndrome.

If you already have one or more of the above disorders, and especially if you have metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, you are at great risk of developing others, in particular several types of cancer and dementia. I hope the information in the following pages will help you reduce the chances of those disorders happening to you.

Here is one of the generally agreed definitions of metabolic syndrome. There are a number of others found here but you will find they are all similar.

American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (AHA/NHLBI) criteria (2005)

Any 3 of the following lead to a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome:

  • Waist circumference 102 cm (40 inches) or greater in men, 88 cm (35 inches) or greater in women
  • Triglycerides 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L) or greater
  • HDL-cholesterol <40 mg/dL (<1.04 mmol/L) in men and <50 mg/dL (<1.29 mmol/L) in women
  • BP 130/85 mmHg or greater
  • Fasting glucose 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) or greater.

Continue to the next page to read about insulin resistance.

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