Metabolic syndrome in women is more common than in men, and even more alarming is how much more widespread the problem is becoming. The exact cause isn’t known yet, but just the name “syndrome” implies that metabolic syndrome in women, or in men, is a cluster (or collection) of health risks rather than an actual disease in itself.

It is probably that our diet and exercise habits in general have become worse than they were years ago. We eat more junk food, we sit more at a desk instead of actually doing something physical at work, we spend more time driving and less time walking, and don’t get enough sleep at the end of the day.

 

Metabolic Syndrome in Women – How is it Diagnosed?

 

As stated, metabolic syndrome is a collection of risks. The National Cholesterol Education Program has issued a definition of the syndrome as having at least three of the following five elements of metabolic syndrome:

  • an “enlarged waist” – which is defined as a waist measurement of at least 35.2” for women. (40” for men)
  • high blood pressure – 130/85 or higher
  • low levels of good (HDL) cholesterol – less than 50 mg/dl for women and less than 40 mg/dl for men
  • elevated levels of blood fats (triglycerides) – 150 mg/dl or more
  • insulin resistance – the blood glucose (sugar) level is higher than normal, or a fasting blood glucose measurement of 110 mg/dl or more.

 

What is the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in Women

 

Being overweight will, by itself, put a woman at higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome. And most people understand that obesity carries plenty of risk factors by itself. But it has also been discovered that metabolic syndrome in women also increases their chance of dying from a stroke or a heart attack by 300%. And they have somewhere between a nine to thirty times higher probability of developing type 2 diabetes.

But for overweight women the news gets worse. Metabolic syndrome in women with a waist size greater than 32.5” puts them at a five times higher risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke when compared to women without metabolic syndrome.

Other factors that increase the risk of developing metabolic syndrome in women are smoking, being sedentary, being post-menopausal, and eating a diet high in carbohydrates. Hispanic women also are at a higher rate.

 

What can be done to Avoid Metabolic Syndrome in Women?

 

The easiest prevention is the same things you are used to reading to reduce the risk of almost every detrimental condition. Eat right, control your weight, exercise regularly, and keep your blood pressure under control. Also very important to note is that if you are diabetic, you must monitor your blood glucose levels and keep them under control. If you are pre-diabetic, try every natural method you can to prevent yourself from developing diabetes.