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What should Americans fear the
most? Terrorist attack, epidemics, environmental
hazards or global warming? Well…none of the above. According to
the recent data, the health conditions such as heart diseases,
stroke, diabetes, cancer and other health killers will kill more
Americans in the future?
One of the most common and often
overlooked conditions to strike Americans is called Metabolic
Syndrome claiming a victim every 33 seconds!
The Metabolic syndrome is
characterized by a combination of three or more of five cardiac
risk factors which can greatly increase the risk of
cardiovascular disease.
-
abdominal obesity (Hip-Waist
Ratio)
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hypertension
-
high cholesterol or
triglycerides
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abnormally high blood sugar
Metabolic syndrome is the combination of obesity,
high cholesterol or triglycerides, and hypertension linked by an
underlying resistance to insulin [abnormally high blood sugar].
So common and so destructive are the negative health outcomes of
metabolic syndrome that it qualifies as the number-one
public health problem facing Americans.
But the good news is that the
syndrome can be overturned by improved diet, activity and weight
loss. Heart Screen's programs identify problem areas and
focus on the underlying causes of metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic
syndrome is a precursor to future health problems such as heart
disease, stroke, peripheral artery disease, diabetes and kidney
disease. Employers can make a greater impact on overall health
and medical spending by addressing the issues of high
cholesterol, hypertension and obesity as one set of risk
factors, leading to better overall health.
Heart Screen’s goals are to
prevent the negative health effects of obesity. Addressing the
Metabolic Syndrome adds to an array of programs already offered
by Heart Screen to promote wellness
through prevention. |
