Metabolic syndrome is the medical term for a triad of symptoms: Diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.
We know this combination is always serious because it raises the odds of you getting coronary heart disease, suffering a stroke, and other conditions that affect the blood vessels.
Diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity can damage your blood vessels, but having all three of them together is particularly dangerous.
What are the symptoms?
Metabolic syndrome could be present if you have three or more of the following symptoms: High blood pressure that's consistently 140/90mmHg or higher.
You are very overweight or have a lot of fat around your waist. You have high blood sugar levels, which signify insulin resistance.
Blood tests reveal high triglyceride levels (fat in the blood) and low levels of HDL (the good cholesterol) in your blood. This can lead to atherosclerosis where arteries become clogged with fats such as cholesterol.
Can it be prevented?
Making some lifestyle changes can have a profound effect on metabolic syndrome. Changes that may help are stopping smoking and cutting down on alcohol losing weight, exercising regularly, and eating a healthy balanced diet to help keep your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels under control.
Some of the easy ways to prevent diabetes
These three healthy habits can help reduce the risk of developing diabetes:
1. Stabilise blood sugar and energy levels
"Try to keep your blood sugar levels and energy levels stable by eating something every three hours, " says UK-based nutritionist Dr. Marilyn Glenville. "Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus a snack mid-morning and one mid-afternoon, with no longer than three hours in between."
2. Be aware of weight gain
"When you are overweight, fat builds up in your liver, causing it to produce excess glucose even if you are already obtaining it adequately in your diet," says Sarah Brewer, a general practitioner based in the UK.
"Excess fat also spills over from your liver to your pancreas where it accumulates and switches off the genes that regulate your insulin."
3. Cutting down on carbs may help
"Your carbohydrates intake strongly influences your blood sugar levels. Try to eat a diet that's low in carbs," says Alice Yeates, a UK-based nutritionist.