Private MD News

Metabolic syndrome increases risk of cardiovascular complications

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

As the dangers of poor heart health become increasingly apparent, a growing number of doctors are recommending that more individuals seek blood pressure and cholesterol testing to determine their risk of cardiovascular disease.

The recommendations come in the wake of a recent study that showed that individuals who have metabolic syndrome - a constellation of conditions that include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity and insulin resistance - are up to 2.5 times more likely to die of heart related than those who do not have the condition, according to HealthDay News.

"Our study suggests that the association between metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular outcomes is even stronger than previously suspected," study author Dr Mark Eisenberg, a professor at McGill University, told the news source. "It firmly reinforces the urgent need to aggressively combat the metabolic syndrome in order to reduce and perhaps even prevent heart disease."

Anywhere from 20 to 50 percent of the population may have metabolic syndrome, depending on their age group, according to the American Heart Association.