Syndrome "X"

[KickChick]

This term "syndrome X" appears in a few threads here in this particualr forum and many members are a little puzzled as to what this is. So I thought I would start this post in order to get some info out on this for you all .... and see if maybe you or someone you know exhibits any of the "signs" of this.

 

Syndrome X actually describes a cluster of conditions, such as abnormal levels of fat in the blood, obesity, and high blood pressure.

 

Syndrome X isn't a disease that's just been discovered. Doctors have known for years that each one of these health problems can increase the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease or diabetes. It wasn't until 1988, when Dr. Gerald Reaven first described Syndrome X, that they were seen as being connected.

 

Syndrome X appears to stem from a condition known as insulin resistance. According to some reports, up to 25% of the adult population in America are resistant to insulin to some degree.

 

Normally, the carbohydrate in the food you eat is eventually broken down into glucose (also known as blood sugar). Glucose, in turn, triggers the release of the hormone insulin. Insulin helps to move nutrients from the blood into the cells of your body. However, in someone with insulin resistance, muscle cells are not able to deal with glucose properly.

 

In response to insulin resistance, your pancreas releases as much insulin as it can to prevent glucose levels from increasing. Syndrome X is a combination of insulin resistance, combined with high insulin levels.

 

One of the causes of insulin resistance is eating too many refined carbohydrates and sugary foods. A combination of foods high in fat and high in sugar makes things even worse. Feed rats a typical high-fat, high-sugar diet, and they'll show signs of insulin resistance in a matter of weeks.

 

The heavier and less physically active a person is, the greater the degree of insulin resistance. So, it should come as no surprise that the two most important modulators of insulin action under your control are physical fitness and body weight.

 

• Aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking (30 minutes, three to four times a week) is enough to reduce insulin resistance.

 

• In people who are overweight, insulin resistance is also reduced with a relatively small amount (10-15 pounds) of weight loss.

 

However, conventional low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets are not necessarily the best way to deal with Syndrome X. In fact, Dr. Reaven, Professor Emeritus of Medicine at Stanford University, points out that in the absence of weight loss, a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet actually makes the symptoms of Syndrome X worse.

 

Ref:Reaven, G. Syndrome X. Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine

[BonnyBoy]

o.O, I could be in trouble, lack of physical activity and high carb & fat diet while sitting at my computer can't be good.

 

Thanks for the info, KickChick.

[KickChick]

You're welcome... it may be possible that you are.

 

If you want to read up more on it ..... "it" has its own site http://www.syndrome-x.com/