February 26, 2009
Health Tip: Understanding Metabolic Syndrome
Factors that increase a person's risk of heart disease and diabetes
(HealthDay News) -- Metabolic syndrome is a group of factors that combine to increase a person's risk of coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other diseases, including stroke.
The American Heart Association offers this list of criteria for metabolic syndrome:
- Excess fat around the abdomen.
- High triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol and high LDL cholesterol.
- High blood pressure.
- Difficulty processing insulin.
- High levels of fibrinogen or plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in the blood.
- High blood levels of C-reactive protein.