More
than a third of adults in the U.S. have a condition called "metabolic
syndrome," which involves a combination of risk factors such as high blood
pressure, diabetes and obesity, according to a new study.
In
the study, researchers looked at data from 2011 and 2012 and found that about
35 percent of U.S. adults had metabolic
syndrome (also known
as Syndrome X). The health conditions that are the components of metabolic
syndrome may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease and even
premature death, the researchers said.
"That's
a scary percentage — that a third of adults have it," said study author
Dr. Robert J. Wong, of the Alameda Health System-Highland Hospital in Oakland,
California.
Although the researchers knew that obesity affects more than a third of adults
in the U.S., Wong said that before the new results, he thought that the
percentage of people with metabolic syndrome "would be a little bit
less."
What is metabolic syndrome?
To
have metabolic syndrome, a person must have at least three of the five
conditions that are considered to be "metabolic risk factors,"
according to the National Institutes of Health. The five conditions are: a
large waistline, a high level of triglycerides (a type of fat found in the
blood), a low level of "good"
HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure and a high level of blood sugar
after fasting.
In
the study, the researchers examined data from the National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey collected between 2003 and 2012. In the survey, data are
collected from not only interviews with the participants, but also physical
exams. [9 Healthy Habits
You Can Do in 1 Minute (Or Less)]
The
researchers also found that the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome increased
with age. They found that 47 percent of people ages 60 and older had metabolic
syndrome, compared with 18 percent of people ages 20 to 39.
Among
people ages 60 and older, more than 50 percent of women, and more than 50
percent of Hispanics, had the syndrome.
The effects of age
As
the population in the U.S. continues to age, "a large proportion of them
will have metabolic syndrome, and be at risk for major diseases such as heart
disease, [nonalcoholic] fatty liver disease and associated diabetes," Wong
told Live Science. (Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a condition in which excessive fat
accumulates in liver cells. In severe cases, it may lead to liver failure.)
One
possible reason for the increase in the metabolic syndrome with age may be that
people's metabolism slows down as they get older, the researchers said. As a
result, they may gain weight more easily, which puts them at a higher risk for
individual components of the syndrome such as high blood
pressure, diabetes, abnormal lipid levels and obesity, Wong said.
The
results also showed that the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among U.S. adults
increased from 32.9 to 34.7 percent between 2003 and 2012.
When
the researchers examined the data focusing on ethnicity, they found the highest
rates of metabolic syndrome were among Hispanics, followed by non-Hispanic
whites and then blacks.
The
new results emphasize the importance of exercise and weight-loss programs based
on diet in improving individual conditions that are part of metabolic syndrome.
"Just
because you have metabolic syndrome does not mean that you can't reverse
it," Wong said.
The
study was published today (May 19) in the Journal of the American Medical
Association.
Follow
Agata Blaszczak-Boxe on Twitter. jefry_333,
, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on Live Science.
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