 Insulin
Resistance can cause hyperinsulinemia,
an excess of insulin in the blood stream and a symptom of Metabolic Syndrome. This latter condition may result in higher levels of LDL "bad"
cholesterol that could damage the cardiovascular system and lead
to a heart attack or stroke. Reversing Insulin Resistance is an
important factor in heart disease prevention.
- Insulin Resistance heightens the risk of Metabolic Syndrome
sufferers becoming Pre-Diabetic which, if neglected, can lead to Type 2
Diabetes - an increased risk factor for Cardiovascular Disease.
Insulin Resistance can also cause high blood pressure or hypertension, another risk factor for heart problems.
- Type 2 Diabetes can only be managed for the rest of a Diabetic's life in the vast majority of cases and may require daily injections of insulin. Just by itself, Type 2 Diabetes is a seriously increased risk factor for blindness, kidney disease and the need for amputation.
- Researchers have long known that people who are overweight and suffer from Type 2 Diabetes are at greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease and other types of dementia.
- Men with Metabolic Syndrome run a greater risk of developing
prostate cancer.
| "... obese children as young as
six were experiencing changes in their blood vessels that, when
present in adults, are associated with coronary artery disease.
The researchers concluded that obesity during childhood,
especially when combined with high blood pressure or insulin
resistance, should be considered a major risk factor for
premature heart disease and cause for treatment. They
recommended that children who are obese begin treatment plans
that include weight loss and control of any other risk factors
for heart disease, such as high blood pressure."
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Prevention of Heart Disease Should Begin in Childhood, Diabetes Care, American Diabetes Association |
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Because there is no single solution for Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome you might want to consider a multi-faceted approach. We feel that what’s required to address the issues presented by these syndromes is a complete systematic approach, which includes nutraceuticals (vitamins, herbs and minerals that are disease specific), a realistic exercise program combined with nutritional guidance, advice on combating carbohydrate addiction and a support network that will help you change unhealthy lifestyle choices that could lead to weight loss.
Click here to learn about the ground-breaking Insulite MetaX System, which
is scientifically-designed to help reverse Metabolic Syndrome, which can lead to other
serious disorders like Pre-Diabetes, an
increased risk of Alzheimer's Disease and
some forms of cancer, as well as heart disease. The system
includes numerous formulations like OmegaX, which includes
omega 3 fatty acids that can help prevent damage to the
cardiovascular system — often the precursor to multiple
health threats.
You may be interested in some of our Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs) about Metabolic Syndrome and the Insulite
MetaX System.
Click here to read
about
Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes
See below for an article on Syndrome W
Insulin Resistance
Links “Syndrome W”
with Syndrome X (Metabolic Syndrome) and Type 2 Diabetes
A New York Medical College doctor has coined the term “Syndrome W”
to describe Insulin Resistance-related conditions that can lead
to the better-known Cardiovascular Disease disorder called
Syndrome X (Metabolic Syndrome) (1). Women who suffer from PCOS
(Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) seem particularly vulnerable to
“Syndrome W,” which also may be the precursor to Type II
Diabetes.
Endocrinologist Harriet Mogul has screened hundreds of women
since the college started its Menopause Health Program in 1994.
She quickly began noticing a cluster of symptoms in a certain
type of patient who came in to be evaluated for hormone
replacement therapy (HRT).
“Among these patients – a narrow range of health-conscious,
non-smoking, physically active women approaching menopause –
there were many complaints of weight gain, usually around the
waist, after years at a constant weight,” said Dr. Mogul.
“When we began seeing these symptoms clustered together with
elevated blood pressure and insulin levels, we decided there was
a pattern. Women with the syndrome also report a detectable
increase in appetite, food cravings and inability to lose
weight, despite exercise and attempts to diet.”
Dr. Mogul was sure the women were suffering from Insulin
Resistance. She called their weight gain symptoms “Syndrome W”
because their condition would lead, alphabetically and
medically, to Syndrome X, a cluster of disorders also called
Metabolic Syndrome, which include high blood pressure and
abnormalities in certain blood fats and blood-clotting factors,
resulting in Cardiovascular Disease.
Insulin Resistance occurs when the body has too few insulin
receptor sites or “doorways” on the cell walls to allow
carbohydrates that have been broken down into blood sugar, or
glucose, to pass through and be converted to energy. Insulin
acts as “a key in a lock”, allowing blood sugar to enter through
the cell wall. It also makes sure there’s never too much sugar
in the blood stream by storing excess glucose in the liver and
fat cells and shuttling just the right amount needed for energy
at any moment to various cells of the body.
Our bodies become Insulin Resistant when our cells no longer
“answer the door” to insulin. Obesity is the main factor for
triggering the change but heredity also plays a role and even a
thin person can become Insulin Resistant.
When glucose is locked out of Insulin Resistant cells, it has
nowhere to go and builds up in the blood stream. The pancreas
releases yet more insulin to try to compensate and, for a while,
that works to force glucose through the cells wall. Someone with
Insulin Resistance can maintain normal blood glucose levels but
requires insulin levels as much as 40% above normal, which can
cause the cluster of significant cardiovascular diseases known
as Syndrome X.
In at least a portion of the estimated 60-80 million Americans
who are currently Insulin Resistant, the pancreas will
eventually lose its fight to maintain balanced levels of glucose
and insulin, allowing the glucose level to begin creeping
upwards. Untreated, 10% of those who started out simply
suffering from Insulin Resistance are likely to develop Type II
Diabetes.
It’s only then that people realize they have a problem, which is
why Insulin Resistance has been called a “silent killer” because
its symptoms have gone largely unrecognized until recently.
A 1999 study by researchers at Washington University in St.
Louis reaffirmed what Dr. Mogul had been observing in her female
patients; namely that a tendency to accumulate fat at the
midriff, creating a so-called apple-shaped body, is a strong
marker for Insulin Resistance.
Dr. Mogul is still studying the reason why the Insulin
Resistance underlying “Syndrome W” begins in mid-life in her
patients. “There seems to be a switch that goes off at 40,” she
said. “The genes do change and there are some major metabolic
changes at 40.”
Certain groups of women seem particularly vulnerable: “a very
high percentage of Asian, Middle Eastern and Hispanic women …
also women who have had PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) … and
Ashkenazi women.”
Keeping overall weight down is the best way to avoid “Syndrome
W”, according to Dr. Mogul. “Watch the calories and watch the
carbohydrates. And don’t make the mistake that low-fat means
low-calories,” she said.
“Also, oral estrogen is associated with weight gain, so work
with your doctor to get the prescription right if you are taking
hormones. And exercise!”
(1) Soares, Christine, "Syndrome W", Discovery
Health
Click here to read
about
Metabolic Syndrome and Pre-Diabetes
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