Can thin people also have metabolic syndrome? 5 diagnostic criteria and 5 prevention tips for metabolic syndrome

In recent years, with the changes in dietary culture, Taiwan’s "National Nutritional Health Change Survey" from 2017 to 2020 showed that the BMI index of adults over 18 years old who were overweight and obese had climbed to 50.3%, and that of junior high and high school students had risen to 29.2% and 28.9% respectively. Even the proportion of overweight and obese elementary school children reached 25.8%. Obesity has become a problem that all people have to face. It is not only a chronic disease, but also an important cause of metabolic syndrome.

Patients often come to the outpatient clinic because of being overweight or obese. After blood tests, they are diagnosed as patients with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome includes abnormal blood pressure, blood sugar, blood lipids and waist circumference, covering the three high diseases caused by obesity. It is a warning sign of "unhealthiness". Such patients are prone to cardiovascular disease and cancer, and their mortality rate increases significantly when they are in other disease states, such as when they are infected with COVID-19.

5 diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome

The diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome include:

1. High blood pressure: systolic blood pressure above 130 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure above 85 mmHg.

2. Fasting hyperglycemia: fasting blood sugar value is above 100 mg/dL.

3. Fasting high triglycerides: ≧150mg/dL.

4. Fasting low HDL cholesterol: <40mg/dL for men and <50mg/dL for women.

5. Central obesity: Male waist circumference 90 cm (35.4 inches) or more, female waist circumference 80 cm (31.5 inches)

If three or more of the above five factors are met, it can be diagnosed as metabolic syndrome.

Why are obesity and metabolic syndrome closely related?

A major cause of being overweight or obese is eating more and exercising less. When the human body takes in too much energy (food) but reduces consumption (basal metabolic rate and exercise), the excess energy will be stored in the body. In addition to causing fat cells to enlarge and cause body shape changes, it will also accumulate in the internal organs and cause fatty liver and fatty pancreas. What's worse, with the development of ultrasound equipment in recent years, there is also the situation of fatty heart. Such patients usually also have central obesity problems. Therefore, the diagnostic standard for obesity in metabolic syndrome uses waist circumference rather than body mass index (BMI).

When the energy intake is too much to be stored, the energy (glucose) in the blood cannot smoothly enter the cells for decomposition and utilization, and blood sugar begins to rise. The pancreas secretes more insulin to lower blood sugar, resulting in high insulin concentrations in the patient's blood. At this time, problems with energy metabolism will arise in the body, along with insulin resistance caused by obesity. The liver, muscles, and fat cells that regulate energy in the human body become less sensitive to insulin, and metabolic syndrome will begin to appear.

Can thin people also have metabolic syndrome?

20% of the causes of metabolic syndrome are related to genetic inheritance, so the diagnosis can be made by choosing 3 out of 5. It is recommended that even if the body shape is normal, people with a family history of hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia should not only have regular check-ups, but also avoid bad eating habits, reduce high-sugar and high-fat diets, avoid excessive drinking, and maintain regular exercise habits.

There are many reasons for the decline in metabolic rate, including the loss of muscle mass with aging, the degeneration of organs related to energy regulation such as the liver and pancreas with aging, and irregular exercise habits, poor work and rest schedules, inappropriate eating habits, poor sleep quality, insufficient water intake or inappropriate mental state, which can accelerate the occurrence of metabolic syndrome.

Does aging increase the risk of metabolic syndrome?

Generally speaking, between the ages of 0 and 30, as the body grows and develops, its energy demand is higher and its energy consumption is greater, so the incidence of metabolic syndrome is lower. Recent studies have shown that the basal metabolic rate does not begin to decline by an average of about 0.7% per year until around age 60, but most people can feel that they start to gain weight and their energy metabolism deteriorates after the age of 30. There are many reasons for the decline in metabolic rate, including the loss of muscle mass with aging, the degeneration of organs related to energy regulation such as the liver and pancreas with aging, and irregular exercise habits, poor work and rest schedules, inappropriate eating habits, poor sleep quality, insufficient water intake or inappropriate mental state, which can accelerate the occurrence of metabolic syndrome.

How to prevent metabolic syndrome?

Today's medical treatment cannot overcome the problem of aging, but maintaining good living habits is a way we can prevent metabolic syndrome. It is recommended to prevent metabolic syndrome according to the "Metabolic Syndrome Learning Manual" of the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

5 Tips to Prevent Metabolic Syndrome

Tip 1: Choose wisely and eat healthily ("three lows and one high" - low oil, low sugar, low salt, high fiber).

The second trick: stand up and move for 30 minutes (avoid sitting for long periods of time and exercise for 30 minutes every day).

The third tip: Don’t smoke and drink less (save money and stay healthy).

The fourth trick: Remove stress and gain vitality (cultivate interest in stress relief, think positively, and seek help at the right time).

The fifth tip: Get checked and detect early (regular preventive health checks for adults).

【Doctor's Tips】:

In addition to improving your health, preventing metabolic syndrome is more about paying attention to the five indicators of metabolic syndrome, and regularly testing waist circumference, blood pressure, triglycerides, high-density cholesterol, and blood sugar. If more than 3 abnormalities occur, it is metabolic syndrome. Doctors remind that if one of the indicators appears in the body, one should also be alert to the status of other indicators and join the health promotion ranks in time.