CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND METABOLIC SYNDROME
From a Series on Insulin Resistance and its
Links to Serious Health Conditions
By
Dr. Mary Shackelton, MPH, ND
Medical Director - Insulite Laboratories
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Metabolic Syndrome, also known as Syndrome X, is a cluster disorder that
substantially increases your chances of developing Cardiovascular Disease. There
is a growing body of scientific evidence that identifies Metabolic Syndrome,
with its underlying causes of obesity, physical inactivity and genetic factors,
as a powerful risk factor for heart attacks, stroke and Type II Diabetes. Metabolic Syndrome is characterized by the following symptoms: excessive fat tissue in and around the abdominal area, blood fat disorders (high triglycerides, increased LDL “bad” cholesterol and lowered HDL “good” cholesterol), high blood pressure, Insulin Resistance or Glucose Intolerance and Prothrombotic or Proinflammatory States. The American Heart Association estimates that 20-25% of the adult population in the U.S. has Metabolic Syndrome – somewhere between 58 and 73 million people.1 This syndrome was identified in 1988 by Dr. Gerald Reaven of Stanford University. But only in recent years have researchers begun long-term studies to identify the complex interactions of Metabolic Syndrome on human physiology. The initial research results are alarming. In a Louisiana State University study2, researchers found those who suffer from Metabolic Syndrome are at a significantly greater risk of dying from a heart attack than people who are free of the condition. The study, conducted over a 15-year period, found that men who had the condition were from 2.9 to 4.2 times more likely to die of a heart attack. Obesity is at epidemic levels in this country and it is a key causative factor in Metabolic Syndrome. In turn, Insulin Resistance is being increasingly identified as an underlying cause of obesity. Insulin Resistance prevents the efficient conversion of food into energy because of a vastly reduced number of insulin receptor sites on your cells. It’s been estimated that a typical healthy person has 20,000 insulin receptor sites per cell, while the average overweight individual can have as few as 5,000. If you have a greatly reduced number of insulin receptor sites on the cells' surface, your ability to lose weight is severely compromised. Insulin acts as a "key in a lock", allowing glucose to pass through the cell wall and be converted to energy. If you have too few receptor sites, glucose bounces off the cell wall instead of passing through the insulin "door". Glucose remains in the blood stream, causing elevated levels of blood sugar, which are sent to the liver. Once there, the sugar is converted into fat and stored via the blood stream throughout the body. This process can lead to weight gain and obesity. Free-floating insulin can damage the lining of the arteries and contribute to atherosclerosis, which is characterized by a dangerous build up of plaque on the artery walls In addition, the imbalance of glucose and insulin can lead to a greater risk of developing heart disease because it causes increased levels of triglycerides, which are fat-storing substances carried through the blood stream to the tissues. As your weight increases, stressors build up on the entire cardiovascular system. The heart and lungs, for example, have to work harder to distribute an adequate amount of freshly-oxygenated blood throughout the body. In addition to the increase in triglycerides, there is a lowering of “good” HDL cholesterol, which increases the risk of stroke and heart attack. Increased insulin and glucose levels in those suffering from Metabolic Syndrome have also been proven to cause changes in the kidneys’ ability to remove salt and increase the risk of blood clot formation. All of these are key factors in developing Cardiovascular Dsease, heart attacks and stroke. Unbalanced glucose and insulin levels also lay the foundation for Type II Diabetes by raising blood sugar to dangerous levels. Recent research has additionally shown that high levels of glucose and insulin may also prompt abnormal cell growth, implicating it as the cause of certain cancers. Growing scientific evidence demonstrates the additional risk factors for those with Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X). Research by Philadelphia’s Thomas Jefferson University found that men with this disorder had a 78% greater chance of having a stroke than those free of the condition. Women had a 50% greater risk.3 Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States.4 A study by Duke Medical Center5 found that people with Metabolic Syndrome, who made lifestyle modifications by exercising and losing weight, had a 47% reduction in insulin overproduction, also known as hyperinsulinemia, which is caused by Insulin Resistance. Those who exercised but didn’t lose weight saw a 27% reduction. Another important fact to emerge from the Duke Medical Center study was expressed by the study’s lead author, Lana Watkins, who wrote: “A non-pharmacologic treatment for these patients is needed, since drugs prescribed to lower blood pressure have been shown to actually worsen carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in Syndrome X patients, negating the beneficial effects of those drugs.”6 In my clinical practice, I became increasingly involved in addressing my patients’ weight loss concerns, which led directly to my research in the fields of Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome. I realized that a systematic approach would be needed to address all the components of these disorders. Simply put, taking a pill every day won’t begin to effect the changes that are necessary if you hope to correct these conditions. A careful balance of natural treatment options needed to be developed to address Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome, though my research showed that no one had yet developed a complete system for patients suffering from these two conditions. This omission led directly to my creation of the Insulite System. The Duke Medical Center study recommended non-pharmacologic treatment. The nutraceuticals (disease-specific vitamins, minerals and herbs) that I use can effect substantial metabolic change. Losing weight alone will not reverse either Metabolic Syndrome or Insulin Resistance – a complete system, including a realistic exercise program and nutritional guidance, would be needed. I wanted to develop a system for my patients that included all of those components, while providing the kind of support and outreach which research has proven are the most effective methods for achieving permanent results. The exercise program and nutritional plan are not only necessary components of the Insulite System but also realistic and easy-to-follow. The underlying theories are based on well-recognized and accepted science that reprograms neural networks and replaces old, sedentary habits with gradual and permanent lifestyle changes. Please, begin today to address these conditions. Your health matters, both to you and your loved ones. Put yourself back on the path to optimum well being. |
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Dr. Shackelton received her Masters in Public Health (MPH) from San Diego State University and her Naturopathic Doctorate (ND) from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona. She additionally completed a program from the Institute of Women’s Health and Integrative Medicine in Portland, Oregon. Her work in the field of public health laid a foundation for thinking in terms of improving the health of large sections of the population. Her practice as a Naturopathic Doctor has allowed her to focus one-on-one in a clinical setting on women's and children's health where she has successfully worked with many of her patients' Insulin Resistance and weight conditions. In 1998, Dr. Shackelton was a team doctor for the First Disabled Ascent of Mt. Everest. She conducted research at Everest Base Camp on the effects of herbs and homeopathic medicines on high altitude acute mountain sickness and published the study results in The Journal of Complementary Therapies. | ||
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References: 1 American Heart Association: http://www.americanheart.org. Figures based on U.S. Census estimates of population in 2004. | ||