Metabolic syndrome refers to the presence of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and overweight/obesity in a single individual. This cluster of conditions is predicted to overtake cigarette smoking as the number one cause of heart disease and stroke.1 Metabolic syndrome greatly interferes with a person’s quality of life and frequently reduces longevity.
Large numbers of people are affected by metabolic syndrome. The age-adjusted prevalence ranges as high as 25% of white men, 25% of African-American women, and 37% of Hispanic-American women.
According to the World Health Organization2, diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome include
- Blood glucose levels above 150 mg/dL
- BMI greater than 30
- Blood pressure above 140/90
- HDL cholesterol levels below 35 mg/dL for men and below 39 mg/dL for women
- Triglycerides above 150 mg/dL
An additional sign of metabolic syndrome is hyperuricemia (elevated serum uric acid levels). Uric acid levels should normally be less than 6.2 mg/dL and ideally below 5 mg/dL.
Elevated serum uric acid levels are found in gout, a chronic inflammatory arthritis caused by deposition of uric acid crystals in joints and related soft tissues. Recent research demonstrates an association between gout and metabolic syndrome. Symptoms of gout may be a good predictor of later onset of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.3 Evidence suggests that symptoms of gout provide a good opportunity to diagnose, prevent, and help reduce long-term complications of metabolic syndrome.
Of course, gout continues to affect increasing numbers of Americans. At present, more than 2 million Americans have this severely painful form of arthritis. Many natural remedies for gout are available, including black currant oil, morin (the active ingredient of Morus alba), and yucca extract.
Importantly, increased serum uric acid levels are an independent risk factor for heart disease and stroke.4 The impact of uric acid on potential cardiovascular disease is greater than that of elevated levels of cholesterol.
Be proactive as a patient – when your physician diagnoses your pain as being due to gouty arthritis, request additional tests related to the possible presence of metabolic syndrome. Likewise, everyone going for a regular annual physical should request that uric acid be added to the standard blood work-up.
Early diagnosis is always crucial to an improved prognosis, whether the condition is gout, metabolic syndrome, or heart disease and stroke.
Going forward, the most effective and long-lasting therapy for all aspects of metabolic syndrome involve new lifestyle behaviors –
- Weight loss
- Healthy daily nutrition
- Regular exercise
Remarkably, these three action steps provide symptomatic benefit for all three conditions - high blood pressure, overweight/obesity, and type 2 diabetes. The solution is straightforward, but not necessarily simple. People need ongoing encouragement and support to continue to make lifestyle changes on their own behalf.
A team approach for metabolic syndrome is frequently beneficial - the person’s family members, friends, community support, and physician support are help to make a real and long-lasting difference in peoples’ lives.
1Deen D: Metabolic syndrome: time for action. Am Fam Physician 69(12):2875-2882, 2004
2Alberti KG and Zimmer PZ: Definition, diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus and its complications. Part 1: Diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus - provisional report of a WHO consultation. Diabet Med 15:539-553, 1998
3Hernandez-Cuevas CB, et al: First acute gout attacks commonly precede features of the metabolic syndrome. J Clin Rheumatol 15(2):65-67, 2009
4Alderman MH: Uric acid and cardiovascular risk. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2:126-30, 2002
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