Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolism refers to all the different chemical processes that go on in your body. Metabolic syndrome is a group of health problems that involve your metabolism and give you a higher chance of having heart disease Overview of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) The heart is a muscle that pumps blood. Like all muscles, the heart needs a steady supply of blood to work. Blood that pumps through the heart doesn't feed the heart muscle. Instead the heart... read more , stroke Stroke A stroke is a sudden brain problem that happens when a blood vessel in your brain either gets blocked or breaks open and bleeds. Part of your brain stops getting blood. Brain tissue that doesn't... read more , and diabetes Diabetes Diabetes is a disease in which your blood sugar (glucose) levels are too high. You get diabetes if your body's normal way of controlling blood sugar isn't working right. There are 2 types of... read more .

Metabolic syndrome is very common in the United States. People with metabolic syndrome have:

The cause of metabolic syndrome isn't known.

You're more likely to get metabolic syndrome if you store fat around your belly (you're apple-shaped) instead of your hips (you're pear-shaped). This happens in:

Metabolic syndrome can affect children and teens as well.

Metabolic syndrome itself causes no symptoms. But you may have symptoms of its complications, such as:

Doctors diagnose you with metabolic syndrome if you have a large waist—40 inches (102 centimeters) or more in men and 35 inches (89 centimeters) or more in women—and 2 or more of the following:

Doctors will help you lose weight by having you eat a healthier diet and exercise more. They'll also give you medicines to treat any diseases you have, such as: