According to “Metabolic Syndrome Canada” (MetSC) one in five Canadians suffers from the most pervasive health crisis of our time: metabolic syndrome (MetS). It is a health crisis hiding in plain sight.
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a health disorder that, left untreated, greatly increases the risk of many chronic illnesses. MetS is diagnosed when a patient has three of the following conditions:
- High blood pressure (≥ 130/85 mm Hg, or receiving medication)
- High blood glucose levels (≥ 5.6 mmol/L, or receiving medication)
- High triglycerides (≥ 1.7 mmol/L, or receiving medication)
- Low HDL-Cholesterol (< 1.0 mmol/L in men or < 1.3 mmol/L in women)
- Large waist circumference (≥ 102 cm in men, 88 cm in women; ranges vary according to ethnicity)
When family doctors are aware of these, they can detect metabolic syndrome very early and treat it with a proven regimen of diet and exercise.
