Cardiometabolic Syndrome: Are You At Risk?
Metabolic syndrome is a pre-disease state that affects more than 41 percent of American adults.
I recently had the pleasure of presenting a workshop on cardiometabolic health to students in Kripalu’s Ayurvedic Health Counselor program. As a Western-trained physician, what I appreciate about Ayurvedic medicine, and indeed, most ancient healing arts, is the coherent framework they provide, not only for understanding specific disease entities, but for understanding and recognizing a life out of balance, before disease strikes.
We all know the feeling of imbalance when we experience it.
Yet the tools of Western medicine can be incomplete in helping us identify this pre-disease state. Western medicine excels most when identifying and treating illness that is already established. This is necessary and often life-saving; yet in the case of pre-disease states or imbalance, it can make the process of identification, prevention and reversal harder.
There is one notable exception to this, and it’s called metabolic syndrome, or cardiometabolic syndrome, to highlight the interconnectedness of our endocrine and cardiovascular systems. Metabolic syndrome is a pre-disease state that affects more than 41 percent of American adults (Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-18).
By definition, people with cardiometabolic syndrome have the following:
A BMI greater than 30
Central weight distribution (the “apple” body type)
Elevated blood pressure, defined as higher than 130/80
High triglycerides and low HDL
Elevated fasting glucose, or insulin resistance
Perhaps more importantly, people with cardiometabolic syndrome may not feel well. They are often tired, and the underlying inflammatory processes that give rise to this syndrome can cause low energy, pain, and mood disorders. These feelings may come on slowly and insidiously, making it hard to realize that something is “off”.
Identifying Cardiometabolic Syndrome
This is why it’s so important to identify cardiometabolic syndrome early. Unchecked, cardiometabolic syndrome can lead to conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, fatty liver disease and dementia; cancers of the breast, prostate, colon, liver and skin; polycystic ovarian syndrome and other hormonal imbalances; gout; chronic pain; and depression.
But there is good news: Cardiometabolic syndrome is both preventable and reversible. In fact, cardiometabolic syndrome can be seen as the direct result of our out-of-balance American lifestyle—too much stress, sedentary jobs, poor sleep, and the Standard American Diet (SAD). By making concrete changes to our lifestyle, we can reverse the slow creep toward ill health and disease. As little as 30 minutes of exercise five days a week can improve insulin sensitivity, lower blood pressure, and increase HDL. Decreasing the amount of refined sugars- particularly in the form of sugar-sweetened beverages—can quickly improve fasting glucose and triglyceride levels, as well as help in maintaining a healthy weight. Adding five minutes of slow, yogic breathing in the midst of a busy workday can lower cortisol levels, which further improves blood sugar and insulin levels.