Metabolic syndrome is a group of co-occurring conditions that increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. These conditions include elevated blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, excess fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels. Having just one condition doesn't mean you have metabolic syndrome. But it does mean you're at greater risk of serious illness. If you develop more of these conditions, your risk of complications, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, is higher. Metabolic syndrome is increasingly common, and if you have metabolic syndrome or any of its components, positive lifestyle changes can slow or even prevent the development of serious health problems.

Symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Most diseases related to metabolic syndrome have no obvious signs or symptoms. One tell-tale sign is an oversized waistline. If your blood sugar is high, you may notice signs and symptoms of diabetes, such as increased thirst, increased urination, fatigue, and blurred vision. If you know you have at least one component of metabolic syndrome, ask your doctor if you need to be tested for other components of the syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is closely associated with overweight, obesity, and physical inactivity. It is also associated with insulin resistance. Normally, your digestive system breaks down the food you eat into sugar. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas that helps sugar enter cells for use as fuel. In people with insulin resistance, cells don't respond to insulin properly and glucose doesn't enter cells easily. As a result, your blood sugar levels rise even as your body produces more and more insulin to try to lower your blood sugar.

The following factors increase your chance of developing metabolic syndrome: Age. Your risk of developing metabolic syndrome increases with age. obesity. Carrying too much weight, especially in the abdomen, increases the risk of metabolic syndrome. diabetes. You are more likely to develop metabolic syndrome if you had diabetes during pregnancy or if you have a family history of type 2 diabetes.