The metabolic syndrome high blood pressure is only one part of it

The metabolic syndrome (a condition affecting metabolism) is not a disease on its own. It refers to a cluster of conditions or risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Primarily, the metabolic syndrome, also called the disease of affluence, mainly includes:

Overweight (obesity) with fat deposits especially around the abdomen
high blood pressure
elevated blood sugar levels (the body's sugar metabolism is disrupted by reduced insulin sensitivity or insulin resistance)
abnormal fat metabolism

These four symptoms are together called "the deadly quartet." The risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke doubles when the metabolic syndrome is present. The risk of developing diabetes is about five times higher than in people without the disease of affluence.

Currently about 25 percent of the German population are affected and the number is rising. It is most common in people over 60, but the symptoms can also appear in children and adolescents.

The four main symptoms

Overweight
Overweight is also called obesity. In the context of the metabolic syndrome, the fat stored in the abdominal area and around the organs is especially important. Experts call this visceral fat. It is very metabolically active and affects both fat and sugar metabolism. To quickly assess the risk, the waist circumference measured at waist level is taken. The cut-off is 88 cm for women and 102 cm for men.

High blood pressure
Blood pressure values in the high-normal range or already treated high blood pressure are another hallmark of the metabolic syndrome. Since elevated blood pressure on its own already carries a high risk for cardiovascular disease, this risk increases sharply when combined with other risk factors.

Elevated blood sugar levels
Reduced sensitivity to insulin or insulin resistance leads to increased blood sugar levels. This shows a dangerous connection between the individual symptoms of the metabolic syndrome, because the metabolically active visceral fat (see Overweight) directly affects insulin sensitivity: it reduces it. Therefore, elevated blood sugar levels (from 110 mg/dl fasting) or an existing diabetes mellitus are a symptom of the metabolic syndrome.

Abnormal fat metabolism
This is characterized by elevated triglyceride levels from 150 mg/dl (over 1.7 mmol/l) and reduced levels of (the "good") HDL cholesterol. In women this value is then below 50 mg/dl (below 1.25 mmol/l) and in men below 40 mg/dl (below 1.05 mmol/l). Again there is a connection with abdominal fat. It has a more unfavorable effect on the fat metabolism than fat stored, for example, on the thighs.

In addition to these main features, there are a few other symptoms that can play a role in the metabolic syndrome. These less well-known factors include, for example, elevated uric acid levels, increased blood clotting, and increased protein excretion in the urine.

Although the metabolic syndrome consists of several risk factors that occur together, the basic treatment is the same for all of them: change your lifestyle with the goal of reducing body weight or waist circumference. This is achieved by changing eating habits and increasing physical activity. These changes not only have a positive effect on waist size and weight but also on blood pressure, blood lipid levels, blood sugar levels, and insulin sensitivity.

Sources

This article comes from BloodPressureDB – the leading app since 2011 that helps hundreds of thousands monitor their blood pressure every day. Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 04/2024).

Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as in outpatient care, and has led BloodPressureDB's specialist editorial team since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as a paramedic, first responder and in various therapy and emergency areas, she provides solid, practical and reliably reviewed information.

The metabolic syndrome high blood pressure is only one part of it

The four main symptoms

Sources

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