Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a hot topic.
The main reason it’s top of mind is that at least one-third of all American adults have it.
If you’re one of them, you face an elevated risk of stroke, kidney disease and dementia, just to name a few dangerous conditions it can lead to.
Recently, researchers have uncovered another neurological condition they believe is strongly associated with MetS — one that steals both your body and your mind.
Here’s more about that discovery, and how you can keep MetS from wrecking your life
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Components of MetS linked to Parkinson’s symptoms
In a large-scale study, an international group of researchers has determined that having metabolic syndrome was tied to a greater risk of Parkinson’s disease.
The study followed 467,200 subjects over a period of almost 15 years. In participants with MetS, there were 5.21 new cases of Parkinson’s per 10,000 person-years; in those without MetS, only 4.87 new cases.
While the researchers acknowledge that some of these people may have had a genetic predisposition toward Parkinson’s, they still identify several potential mechanisms by which MetS may lead to Parkinson’s.
First, the individual components of MetS, including hypertension, high blood triglycerides and high blood sugar, may each contribute to insulin resistance, oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. All of these, in turn, may lead to changes in neuroinflammation, but insulin resistance especially has a long history of harming the brain.
Second, hypertension and high fat in the blood can lead to white matter lesions in the brain, which may further contribute to the development of Parkinson’s symptoms.
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How to avoid MetS
It’s clear that MetS is a lot more than just being overweight and having high blood sugar.
But there are clues you can follow even before you measure your waist or take your blood pressure:
- You crave carbs and sweets
- You’re tired and sluggish, no matter how much sleep you get
- You put on weight easily, but have a hard time losing it
- You feel sluggish after eating
- Your blood pressure is rising steadily over time
- Your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol keeps climbing
Anything you can do to keep from developing this syndrome will lower your risk of any number of life-threatening conditions.
So where do you start?
Maintain a healthy weight through your diet and physical activity. You may want to consider a Mediterranean diet or its first cousin, the MIND diet. Both diets have been shown to delay the onset of Parkinson’s and prevent MetS.
Control blood sugar. If you have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, follow your doctor’s recommendations for managing blood sugar levels.
Manage cholesterol. Maintain healthy cholesterol levels by eating a heart-healthy diet and, if needed, taking cholesterol-lowering medications.
Limit alcohol intake: Excessive alcohol consumption can contribute to metabolic syndrome.
Get regular sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night.
Talk to your doctor. If you have a family history of MetS or any of its components, or if you are at high risk, talk to your doctor about preventive measures.
Sources:
Parkinson’s Risk Rises With Metabolic Syndrome — Medpage Today
Metabolic Syndrome and Incidence of Parkinson Disease — Neurology
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