Location Map FAQ
St. Maarten Medical Center
Outpatient department
Download PDF
The metabolic syndrome, is a combination of three or more medical conditions which includes high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar levels, abnormalities in lipid profile such as high cholesterol or triglyceride. Overweight patients are highly at risk of developing these medical conditions.
A person diagnosed as having metabolic syndrome has an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, kidney dysfunction by damaging micro (small) vascular (blood vessels) and macro (large) vascular.
Central obesity is when the main deposits of body fat is in the upper body, especially the abdomen area. For a metabolic syndrome diagnosis obesity is defined as having a waist size of 94 cm– 102 cm or more in men and greater than 80cm in women.
Hypertension occurs when an individual have a reading of 130/85 mmHg or higher. The individual may be taking medicines for high blood pressure.
Diagnosed as a fasting blood glucose test of 100 to 125 mg/dL or 5.6 to 7mmol/L or more.
Diagnosed when there is increased fasting levels of triglycerides (type of fat found in the blood) of 150 mg/dL or 1.7mmol/L or there is lower levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol-the ‘good’ cholesterol of less than 40 mg/dL or 1 mmol/L for men or less than 50 mg/dL or 1.3 mmol/L for women; or elevation in total cholesterol or LDL, “bad cholesterol”.
The metabolic syndrome is diagnosed based upon a physical exam and a blood test of your fasting blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
The screening also includes a recording of your abdominal circumference, high blood pressure and Body Mass Index.
If left untreated, the metabolic syndrome may lead to kidney damage, nerve problems and heart problems.
The goals of treatment for the metabolic system are to:
The Mediterranean diet is high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and olive oil. This diet can help to lower weight, blood pressure, lipids and improve glucose level (insulin resistance).
The DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) diet requires you to eat 1300 mg of sodium per day, four to five servings of fruit, four to five servings of vegetables, two to three servings of low-fat dairy products, and all foods must contain less than 25 percent total fat per serving.
Exercise can help with weight loss and can also help reduce the size of the abdomen. 30 minutes of moderate physical activity daily or 3 hours a week, at least, is recommended.
Smoking cigarettes significantly increases your risk of heart disease among other health risks including stroke, cancer and lung disease.
If diet and weight loss do not reduce your blood pressure and glucose level enough, one or more blood pressure medicines or diabetes medications may be recommended. Some persons may need to take lipid-lowering medication to keep cholesterol levels within the recommended limits.
As an outpatient at the SMMC, your team of medical caregivers include your internist, nephrologist, cardiologist and diagnostic nurses.
Feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to give you advise and guide you to make healthy choices.