It’s something that affects 1 in 3 people nationwide and is one of the leading causes of death – cardiometabolic syndrome. But there are steps you can take to reverse and prevent it from happening to you.
First, let’s start with what cardiometaboloic syndrome is.
Dr. Mike Woodruff with Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah said, “Metabolic means just how your body processes sugars, stores and makes energy so your body can function. When we add cardio to that, it means heart, and that acknowledges the strong link between your metabolism and your heart health.”
When your metabolic system isn’t functioning ideally, that puts you at risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.
1 in 3 nationwide are affected and in Utah, Woodruff said almost a million people are at risk.
“In Utah, about 31 percent of people have an unhealthy weight and that’s closely linked with cardiometabolic syndrome.”
Other contributing factors include genetic predisposition, lifestyle choices like unhealthy diets, lack of physical activity, excessive drinking and smoking, and hormonal imbalances.
“The common pathway for this is that when our weight is unhealthy and there’s too much particularly abdominal fat in our body, it actually causes your blood sugar to go up and out of control so your insulin system isn’t working very well,” said Woodruff.
This causes inflammation in the body, leading to a number of health issues.
“Did you know that 13 kinds of cancer can be linked to an unhealthy weight and this kind of an inflammatory cycle we’re talking about?” said Woodruff.
But there are things we can do to reverse or prevent these issues. “I’ll boil it down to diet, exercise, sleep and occasionally we need medications,” he said.
Dr. Woordruff suggests a DASH eating plan or Mediterranean style diet, “Lots of vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, fruit, fish.”
Staying away from heavier foods high in saturated fats.
“Another cornerstone is avoiding highly processed foods,” he said.
Woodruff said if the ingredient list is long, avoid it. But that likely includes some of your favorite snack foods.
“That’s why this is such a prevalent problem. Our modern diet is organized around convenience,” he said.
You should also add more consistent exercise to your daily routine, and it doesn’t need to be much to make a big difference.
“There’s more evidence that you don’t have to work out for hours a day but little bursts of intense activity,” said Woodruff.
He also said to make sure you get plenty of sleep to restore your system and set your hormones in balance.
Lastly, there are medication options. These may not be for everyone, but some can help control cholesterol, diabetes or even encourage weight loss.
The bottom line?
“All of these interventions are within people’s control and they don’t cost a lot of money,” said Woodruff.