Metabolic Syndrome: 5 Conditions That Put Your Heart at Risk

While there are many threats to your heart health, metabolic syndrome is particularly concerning. It is defined by the presence of at least three of the following five conditions:

• Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar)
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Hypertriglyceridemia (high triglycerides)
• Large waist circumference
• Low “good” (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol

“Over the past two decades, rates of metabolic syndrome have markedly increased,” says Dr. Stuart Smalheiser, a board-certified, fellowship-trained interventional cardiologist who sees patients at Beaufort Memorial Heart Specialists. “This is a gateway to very serious problems, including several different types of heart diseases.”

The presence of three or more of these conditions serves as a significant red flag for your heart health.

So, how do these conditions affect your heart, and what can you do to protect your health?

1. High Blood Sugar and Your Heart

Blood glucose (sugar) comes from food and provides most of your body’s energy. While essential, too much of it can cause problems. The most obvious problem is Type 2 diabetes. This occurs when your fasting blood sugar level reaches 126 mg/dL or higher. However, you don’t have to have diabetes to be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. You may just have prediabetes. This condition occurs when your fasting blood sugar levels reach 100 to 125 mg/dL.

Most often, prediabetes doesn’t cause any symptoms. If it develops into Type 2 diabetes, you may feel extremely thirsty, urinate often or experience tingling or numbness in your hands or feet. Less obvious symptoms may be going on inside your heart.

“High blood sugar can damage the blood vessels that carry blood throughout your body,” Dr. Smalheiser says. “It can even affect the nerves that control your heart.”

Read More: How You Can Use Exercise to Lower Blood Sugar

2. High Blood Pressure: A Common Element of Metabolic Syndrome

Blood pressure measures how hard your blood pushes against the walls of your arteries. The top number measures the force against your artery walls during a heartbeat, and the bottom measures pressure between each beat.

Blood pressure falls into three categories, which are:

• Normal — Less than 120 mm Hg/80 mm Hg
• Elevated — 120 to 129 mm Hg and less than 80 mm Hg
• High — 130 mm Hg and higher or 80 mm Hg and higher

“Many people don’t think high blood pressure is serious,” Dr. Smalheiser says. “It has been termed a ‘silent killer’ because most patients never have symptoms of elevated blood pressure. It’s important to identify high blood pressure to manage it properly, because it is another aspect of metabolic syndrome that puts you at greater risk for heart health problems.”

Over time, high blood pressure can damage arteries in the heart, brain and other organs. This weakens your arteries, making them more prone to blood clots or plaque buildup. Additionally, hypertension can cause the heart to enlarge and pump blood less efficiently to the body.

Any of these issues increases your risk for cardiovascular conditions, such as stroke, heart failure and heart attack.

Read More: Heart Rate vs. Blood Pressure: What’s the Difference?

3. Triglycerides: A Fatty Piece of Metabolic Syndrome

Triglycerides are a type of fat in your body. Many of them come from extra calories that your body doesn’t immediately use. When you consume more calories than your body requires at the moment, those excess calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells. When your body needs extra energy, it releases these stored triglycerides for use.

“Too much of any kind of fat can lead to an increase in heart artery blockages,” Dr. Smalheiser says. “Therefore, it’s important to reduce harmful fat intake.”

A simple blood test can measure your triglyceride levels. Healthy levels are below 150 mg/dL. Anything higher may put you at risk for heart disease, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Read More: Bypass Heart Disease

4. Large Waist Circumference

Obesity is a major cause of heart disease and occurs when you have excess body fat. Often, this excess gets stored in your abdomen. There, it surrounds the heart and other internal organs.

This is a problem, since a large waist circumference (a.k.a. abdominal obesity) puts you at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Your risk is based on your sex.

• Men — A waist circumference of more than 40 inches
• Women — A waist circumference that is greater than 35 inches

To determine your risk, measure your waist just above your hipbones. Take the measurement after breathing out.

Read More: Your Mightiest Muscle

5. Low HDL Cholesterol

Contrary to popular belief, high levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol don’t always promote heart health. Some studies indicate that extremely elevated HDL levels can actually accelerate atherosclerosis, a condition in which arteries accumulate fatty deposits. This suggests that at these high levels, HDL may fail to perform its usual role of clearing fats from the arteries.

Adult men age 20 or older should have more than 40 mg/dL of HDL, and females age 20 or older should have more than 50 mg/dL. A blood test at your annual wellness check can measure how much is in your body.

Read More: How to Lower Cholesterol Naturally

Reduce Your Risk for Metabolic Syndrome

“Various lifestyle factors can lead to metabolic syndrome,” Dr. Smalheiser says, “and they can also provide protection against it.”

To protect yourself from conditions that put your heart at risk, take these steps:

• Eat healthily and reduce your intake of sodium, fat and sugar.
• Get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every week.
• Obtain and maintain a healthy weight.
• Quit smoking.
• Visit your primary care provider for annual checkups.

If you continue to experience metabolic syndrome with these steps, medication may help you manage your condition.

“Preventing or reversing metabolic syndrome is often possible, but it takes time and effort,” Dr. Smalheiser says. “It takes a commitment to lifestyle changes that lasts day after day, year after year.”

Understanding and Avoiding Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of risk factors that can increase your likelihood of developing heart disease, diabetes and other health issues. While you can have one or more of these risk factors, a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome occurs when an individual has at least three of them. By effectively managing or preventing these risk factors, you can safeguard your cardiovascular health for years to come.

1. Metabolic syndrome includes hypertension, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL cholesterol and a large waist circumference.
2. These conditions increase your cardiovascular risk by damaging your arteries or weakening your heart, ultimately reducing your heart’s ability to move blood throughout your body.
3. To prevent or reverse this syndrome, adopt a healthy lifestyle and undergo annual well checks. If necessary, take medication as prescribed.

Call 843-770-4450 to schedule an appointment with a heart care specialist.