Heard of the 'Metabolic Syndrome'?

An informative look at recent Holistic Fitness News

DR KAPLAN'S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

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They certainly didn't mention it to me at medical school, but it was all over the medical media this week. Informed, a medical newsletter sponsored by the World Cancer Research Fund summarised this new syndrome also known as Syndrome X and Insulin Resistance Syndrome.

I think I need to let the cat out of the bag as far as this mysterious word, 'syndrome' is concerned. The medical definition of the word 'syndrome' is: A group of symptoms that characterise a specific condition. A set of signs or a series of events occurring together that make up a disease or health problem. Now in medical practice what this means is that the diagnosis of a syndrome is made on symptoms and usually cannot be confirmed by a test. A typical example is that of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, a very common condition that can only be diagnosed in the clinic. In other words it cannot be diagnosed by a specific test. Tests can help diagnose it but only by excluding other conditions. So it is with the 'metabolic syndrome'. No test but these are the clinical features that can help a doctor make the diagnosis.

1. Central Obesity: Fat in the tummy area (Men: over 102cm. Women: over 88cm)
2. High Blood Pressure (over 140/90)
3. Raised Trigylycerides (over 1/7mmol/l)
4. Low HDLs (high density lipoprotein, Men: less than 0.9mmol/l, Women; less than 1.0mmol/l
5. High blood glucose levels
6. Insulin resistance (this means that the person's cells react a bit slowly to insulin which is the hormone that metabolises glucose. Therefore they have relatively high blood sugar levels

Dangers of the Syndrome:

People with the Metabolic Syndrome are more prone to diabetes, chronic disease in general and heart disease, the latter being the most common cause of death in the UK.

Incidence:

It apparently affects 25% of the UK population. Incidence is higher in men than women. (Maybe because of the relationship of Factor 1 above and the beer belly ;-)

Causes:

Sedentary lifestyle and poor diet is what the experts think. No absolute proof though.

Public Advice:

If you are overweight, have your blood glucose and blood pressure checked as well as your cholesterol and triglycerides. ALL overweight people should lose weight but if these results indicate the metabolic syndrome, the situation could be a little more urgent. The truth about this syndrome is that everyone already knows that all the factors that help diagnose the metabolic syndrome are known already to be bad for you. The real question: Is the combination of these more than the sum of the factors? Do you really need to know the answer before acting.

What you can do:

1. Lose weight. One in 4 people in the UK are obese and it's set to double by 2025. Don't help that statistic along!

2. Exercise. Well I've been saying that a lot in this column.

3. Have your blood glucose, blood pressure and serum lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides) checked occasionally, especially if you are over 40. No need to get obsessed with doing this. Do it once and ask your doctor when you should have them re-checked.

Homeopathic Tip:

In an article in the Guardian, there was a suggested linkage between allergies in children and those children taking antibiotics before the age of 6 months. The men in white coats of the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit say that antibiotics in babies may interfere with the development of the digestive tract and the immune system and thereby predispose the children to developing allergies.

Now let's make no mistake about the fact that antibiotics save the lives of millions of babies every year from killer diseases such as meningitis and pneumonia. It is however possible that doctors are overusing antibiotics in babies with red throats or mild coughs that may well be due to viruses against which antibiotics are useless. In these cases an homeopathic alternative might be much preferable. In babies with suspected throat infections, I personally advocate using a throat swab to prove a bacterial infection before using an anti-biotic. Of course a homeopathic doctor has the chance to prescribe an homeopathic remedy based on the symptoms of the baby while s/he awaits the result of the throat swab. If the swab proves a bacterial infection (usually less than 10% of cases) then the appropriate anti-biotic should be given.

Dr Kaplan's personal website is: www.drkaplan.co.uk and his practice website is www.140harleystreet.co.uk and he can be contacted on (020) 7487 3416