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Summary
Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that put you at risk for heart disease and diabetes. These conditions are
- High blood pressure
- High blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels
- High levels of triglycerides, a type of fat, in your blood
- Low levels of HDL, the good cholesterol, in your blood
- Too much fat around your waist
Not all doctors agree on the definition or cause of metabolic syndrome. The cause might be insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone your body produces to help you turn sugar from food into energy for your body. If you are insulin resistant, too much sugar builds up in your blood, setting the stage for disease.
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Metabolic Syndrome (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
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What is Metabolic Syndrome?
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Symptoms
- Symptoms and Diagnosis of Metabolic Syndrome (American Heart Association)
Related Issues
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Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Obesity (Hormone Health Network) Also in Spanish
Statistics and Research
- Metabolic Syndrome Prevalence by Race/Ethnicity and Sex in the United States, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-2012 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Insulin Resistance
(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Metabolic Syndrome
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Children
- Metabolic Syndrome (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Metabolic syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish