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Metabolic Syndrome & Hypothyrodism

Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions linked to being overweight or obese. For those who suffer from metabolic syndrome, the reasons for overweight or obesity are sometimes unclear, but one strong possibility involves the improper functioning of the thyroid gland.

  1. Five Conditions Of Metabolic Syndrome

    • Because it is a "syndrome" there is no absolute test for metabolic syndrome, just a range of risk factors that point to the condition. The factors of metabolic syndrome include abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels (HDL is the "good" cholesterol-- the higher your HDL, the lower your chances of heart disease and vice versa), higher than normal fasting blood sugar levels, an early-warning sign of diabetes, and finally, high triglyceride fat levels in the blood.

    What Are Dangerous Levels?

    • These risk factors of metabolic syndrome are all precursors to heart disease, diabetes and stroke, so the more of them you have, the more likely you are to get one of these diseases.

      The World Health Organization (WHO) lists diabetes and two of these factors to qualify as metabolic syndrome: blood pressure: greater than or equal to 140/90 mmHg; dyslipidaemia to triglycerides (TG): greater than or equal to 1.695 mmol/L; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C): less than or equal 0.9 mmol/L in a male or less than or equal to 1.0 mmol/L in a female; central obesity, or waist to hip ratio greater than 0.90 in a male or greater than 0.85 in a female; and/or body mass index greater than 30 kg/meters squared.

    What Causes Metabolic Syndrome

    • Metabolic syndrome seems to largely be determined by genetics, but it can be controlled by lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise.

      Since overweight and obesity are key symptoms of metabolic syndrome, controlling weight is the best way to manage the other symptoms. If diet and exercise do not help you to reduce weight, your thyroid function might be part of the reason why you are unable to lose the weight.

    Hypothyroidism And Metabolic Syndrome

    • The most essential method to control metabolic syndrome is to avoid overweight or obesity. When this risk factor is removed, the rest tend to disappear or be more controllable.

      Unfortunately, weight management is a difficult task and can often be impossible due to hormone imbalances such as hypothyroidism, a condition which in which the thyroid produces insufficient hormones. The thyroid regulates metabolism, which is key to weight gain or loss. Luckily, hypothyroidism is easy to test for and treat once it has been identified, according to the Mayo Clinic.

    What Can You Do?

    • To test for metabolic syndrome caused by hypothyroidism, first determine whether you have more than one symptom of metabolic syndrome. Also, if you have a history of heart disease or diabetes in your family and cannot seem to lose that excess abdominal weight, consult your doctor about a thyroid test. The thyroid test is a simple blood test for the hormone levels your thyroid is producing. This sensitive test can determine whether your thyroid is underactive.

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