Are your pants a little tighter around your waist? Looking in the mirror, are you noticing a growing glob in the middle? The changes may seem like a donation of age; however, it’s high time you seek a doctor and do some tests.
Should you be worried if your test reports show a rising blood pressure, blood sugar level on a blink, or wobbling blood lipid levels? Yes, you should be. At least your doctor would be because you have metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is a combination of multiple conditions, increasing the risk of diabetes and heart disease. However, can you reverse metabolic syndrome? How long does it take to reverse metabolic syndrome? Let’s find out.
What Is Metabolic Syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome, aka syndrome X, is a combination of several conditions that intensify your risk of getting severe diabetes, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
According to the American Heart Association, 23% of adults in the USA suffer from metabolic syndrome.
However, having just one medical condition doesn’t mean metabolic syndrome. Sufferings from metabolic syndrome means you have the following conditions – three or more –
- Fat around the waist
- Blood pressure over 130/85 mm Hg
- High-density lipoprotein levels
- Abnormal triglyceride level
- High blood sugar
Symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome
People having metabolic syndrome don’t show obvious signs or symptoms of their disorder. However, one visible sign indicating metabolic syndrome is a fattier rim and large waist, high blood sugar, and symptoms of diabetes.
Now, high blood sugar and diabetes often show some common symptoms pointing to your underlying disorder. The symptoms include-
- Increased thirst
- Frequent urination
- Fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Shortness of breath
- Poor wound healing
Causes of Metabolic Syndrome
Inactivity and obesity are the two helping hands of metabolic syndrome. However, the main culprit of metabolic syndrome is insulin resistance.
The food you eat every time your digestive system breaks them down into sugar. Now, the pancreas produces the hormone insulin that helps the sugar penetrate the cell in your body. This sugar is the fuel giving you energy.
Do you know what happens when you have insulin resistance? Your cells stop responding to insulin as before. Therefore, glucose can’t enter the cells in your body smoothly and efficiently.
As a result, your blood sugar level increases. On the other hand, your body produces more insulin to lower the blood sugar level. This entire process leads to insulin resistance.
People suffering from insulin resistance consistently report high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol levels. If you have obesity, it makes the matter worse; and these three conspire against you, causing inflammation in the blood vessels, leading to heart disease.
However, how to reverse insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome? According to Dr. David Nazarian, a proper medication plan, healthy diet, exercise, and healthy lifestyle can help you reverse your metabolic syndrome.
How Long Does It Take To Reverse Metabolic Syndrome?
Is metabolic syndrome reversible? – the first question people diagnosed with metabolic syndrome ask. The second question is how long will it take to be back in your old healthy form?
Yes, metabolic syndrome is reversible. However, the time depends on your medication and lifestyle.
The key to reversing your metabolic syndrome is exercise and weight loss. Medication is also necessary; however, you can’t achieve your goal with the primary helpers – exercise and weight loss.
Exercise and weight loss work together like Holmes and Watson and bring your blood pressure and cholesterol level down. Moreover, they improve your insulin resistance immensely.
As for medication, doctors prescribe treatment and medication, managing each risk factor individually. Doctors approach each to normalize the condition with high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and imbalanced cholesterol levels.
Gradually, each normalizes, and your insulin resistance decreases. As a result, the risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes decreases.
Nevertheless, weight loss in metabolic syndrome may seem struggling. Fat won’t vanish; you have to make them go. And there is nothing as powerful as the exercise to bid farewell to your body’s fat.
Remember, the silent disorders of metabolic syndrome can lead to severe consequences.
Moreover, if your family has a history associated with several metabolic syndrome conditions such as type 2 diabetes or obesity, your precaution and prevention become greater. Genetic predisposition makes your task harder than people with no family history of metabolic syndrome disorders.
Therefore, it’s essential to seek medical attention if you notice any signs of different conditions of metabolic syndrome. If there is no permanent cellular damage, you can prevent or reverse the syndrome with proper treatment.
However, if there is considerable damage to your heart, blood vessels, and other organs already, reversing metabolic syndrome would be a tough row to hoe.
Therefore, don’t delay if metabolic syndrome is present—contact Hormone Replacement Therapy, LA, for thorough professional guidance about metabolic syndrome and an individualized treatment plan from the expert doctors.
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Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome
Exercise and lifestyle change is the key to reversing your metabolic syndrome. Doctors will give you a healthy lifestyle plan to manage your abnormalities and obesity.
However, if lifestyle modification, exercise, and diet don’t support it sufficiently, doctors often prescribe medication to help manage your resistance. The medicine may include-
- High blood pressure medicine
- Cholesterol medicine
- Diabetes medicine
- Low dose aspirin for heart disease
Lifestyle Modification to Reverse Metabolic Syndrome
How long does it take to reverse metabolic syndrome? Well, it depends on your condition, history, and, most importantly, your lifestyle.
Practicing a healthy lifestyle helps reverse metabolic syndrome and delays serious health problems like a heart attack or stroke.
Lose Weight
Do you know losing– even just a bit like 5% to 7% – of your body weight can do magic; it can reduce your insulin resistance, blood pressure, and the risk of diabetes.
You may ask where to focus more while losing weight to help reverse metabolic syndrome? It’s visceral fat that is visible along your waistline. It’s the prominent factor contributing to your systemic inflammation.
How to lose weight? – diet and exercise. Maintaining these two can help you lose your fat and weight significantly. Remember, any amount of weight loss is worthwhile. So, focus here first.
Eat Healthily
Weight loss is the first step to reversing metabolic syndrome; a healthy diet is essential to losing weight.
However, how to plan a diet to reverse metabolic syndrome?
A healthy diet means limiting sugar, saturated fats, trans fats, snacks, fast foods, etc., and adding fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, lean protein, etc. A healthy diet can prevent metabolic syndrome by lowering your blood sugar, blood pressure, and losing weight.
You can follow Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the Mediterranean diet beneficial for metabolic syndrome. However, always consult your doctor for a healthy diet plan first.
In your diet, you can include foods such as.
- Fibrous foods – fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, oats, lentils, beans, etc
- Potassium-rich foods – bananas, dates, yogurt, mushrooms, tomatoes, black bean, etc
- Omega-3 fatty acid – flaxseed, chia seed, olive oil, nuts, salmon, tuna, avocados, pumpkin seed, etc
In addition, while following your diet, limit the following-
- Sugary drinks and snacks
- Saturated fats and trans fats
- High salt food
- Refined and processed carbohydrates
- Sodium-rich food
Move and Make It Fit
It’s not the time to be a potato couch any longer – get up and move. Regular physical exercise is beneficial in every way. It lowers the risk of heart disease and helps you lose weight.
Healthcare providers usually suggest at least 30 minutes of regular exercise – a mix of cardio for 30 minutes, five days a week, and two to three days of strength training.
Remember, every move matters; therefore, sit less and move more.
Say No to Smoking and Alcohol
It’s time to bid farewell to smoke and drinking. If you are diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, avoiding these two is a challenging yet crucial step to reverse metabolic syndrome.
If quitting smoking and alcohol becomes too challenging for you, seek medical attention for necessary help and support.
Manage Stress
Stress management is essential to keep your heart safe from complications. Consider meditation, yoga, and other programs to help you handle stress. It will improve your emotional and physical health too.
Bottom Line
How long does it take to reverse metabolic syndrome? This immediate question hits your brain if you are diagnosed with metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that arise together – high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess fat around your waistline, and imbalanced cholesterol level – increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
However, you can reverse or undo metabolic syndrome with a healthy diet, lifestyle, exercise, and medication.
At Hormone Replacement Therapy, LA, Dr. David Nazarian is an expert physician who prescribes a personalized treatment plan based on your disorders, history, and risk factors. Proper support, regular monitoring, and a perfect plan will bring you back to your health in no time.