Metabolic Syndrome is a group of risk factors that raises your risk for heart disease and other health problems, such as diabetes and stroke. Your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke increases with the number of metabolic risk factors you have. In general, a person who has metabolic syndrome is twice as likely to develop heart disease and five times as likely to develop diabetes as someone who doesn't have metabolic syndrome. Risk Factors: Abdominal obesity with an enlarged waist line or an ‘apple body shape’. Elevated LDL and triglyceride levels and a low HDL level. Understand how to raise your HDL and lower your LDL. High blood pressure. High fasting blood sugar: pre-diabetes or diabetes. It is possible to prevent or delay metabolic syndrome, mainly with lifestyle changes. A healthy lifestyle is a lifelong commitment. Successfully controlling metabolic syndrome requires long-term effort and teamwork with your health care providers.

by Connie Jorsvik Don't ignore these signs and symptoms even if you don't have any cardiac disease factors which usually include being over 45 years of age for men and 55 for women, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, overweight (BMI greater than 30), a smoker, diabetic or have a family history of heart disease:Chest discomfort: Note that only half of women have this warning sign. Usually this is sharp pain, squeezing or pressure under the breast bone and to the left of center. Women often feel an ‘ache’ or burning sensation.Left shoulder and arm pain or aching; left neck and/or jaw aching or pain.Heartburn, feeling of gas buildup in stomach with excessive burping, nausea, vomiting.Cold sweating.Symptoms of an anxiety attack: Anxiety is a warning sign—especially if you don’t normally have anxiety attacks. Take it seriously. Only health professionals can differentiate between anxiety and a heart attack.Shortness of breath, coughing, production of watery (often pink tinged), wheezing which is often worse when lying flat are signs of Congestive Heart Failure. This CANNOT be differentiated from pneumonia by a stethoscope –a chest [...]