Metabolic Syndrome Profile

FAQ

1. What is metabolic syndrome?

   Metabolic syndrome or syndrome X is a combination of medical disorders that increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. People with metabolic syndrome suffer from:

   • High blood pressure
   • Elevated glucose tolerance levels
   • Low HDL ("good") cholesterol
   • High triglyceride levels
   • Abdominal obesity

2. What causes metabolic syndrome?

   Metabolic syndrome is caused by genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Genetic predisposition plays a major role in developing metabolic syndrome, especially insulin resistance and hyperglycemia. However in most cases, the risk of suffering from metabolic syndrome can increase by lifestyle choices such as:

   • Frequent junk food intake
   • Physical inactivity
   • Cigarette smoking

3. What are the symptoms of metabolic syndrome?

   You can be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome if you have three or more of the following symptoms:

   • High blood pressure (hypertension) — 130/85 mmHg or higher
   • Low HDL "good" cholesterol — 40 mg/dL or less in men; 50 mg/dL or less in women
   • High triglycerides — 150 mg/dL or higher
   • Increased waist circumference (Abdominal obesity) — 40 inches (102 cm) or more in men; 35 inches (88 cm) or more in women
   • High fasting glucose levels (hyperglycemia) — 100 mg/dL or higher

4. What are the risks associated with metabolic syndrome?

   Metabolic syndrome is associated with an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes. A growing number of studies have found that people with metabolic syndrome are at increased risk for all-cause mortality — that is, death from any cause (for example, heart attack, stroke, or cancer) — after adjusting for other factors. This increased risk appears to be partially mediated by an elevated inflammatory response in the body.

5. How can you treat metabolic syndrome?

   A healthy diet and regular exercise can help treat metabolic syndrome. Improving your lifestyle habits can make a great difference:

   *Eating plenty of vegetables and a couple of fruits daily

   *Cutting back on sugar, salt, and saturated fat

   *Maintaining a healthy weight

   Following a better diet and doing physical activity regularly can help lower blood pressure and improve insulin sensitivity, which should reduce the risk of hyperlipidemia and diabetes in people who are at risk for metabolic syndrome. Your doctor may prescribe medications to help stabilize your biomarker levels. However, lifestyle changes will also be necessary for all patients with this condition, including those under medication.

6. Does metabolic syndrome cause weight gain?

   One of the common factors of metabolic syndrome is insulin resistance. The latter condition causes an increase in blood sugar and inefficient use of energy in the body, which can result in weight gain. Although it may be harder for people with metabolic syndrome to lose weight, it does not mean they can't do it. Losing weight while suffering from this condition is a vital aspect of treatment.

   Being overweight and obesity are also strongly linked to the development of metabolic syndrome. One of the most important steps to prevent and treat metabolic syndrome is losing excess weight through a balanced diet and regular physical activity.

7. Do I need to visit a doctor?

   Nope. You don't need a doctor's visit to get a test with us.

8. How do I get my results?

   You'll get your results via email as soon as they are available. We will notify you via SMS as well. You can also see them at any time in the future right in your dashboard where you can easily share them with your professional and compare them side by side with future tests.

9. Does my lab prescription expire?

   We're the only lab that honors your lab order forever.