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In this issue, we continue where we left off in January, looking at some of the new research and the researchers in the area of chronic non-communicable diseases. Known as CNCD, they account not only for the majority of deaths in the region (and we are high in the world rankings for incidence), but they account for almost two-thirds of national health budgets. We focus on ailments falling under the broad heading of the Metabolic Syndrome. There is much we do not know, but have the power to change. It’s all in our special focus on the state of health.
It starts innocuously with a bout of inactivity, overeating and some weight gain around the waist. As this happens repeatedly and your waist expands, it’s easy to alter your clothes or purchase a new wardrobe. But as your waist size grows, so do your blood pressure and the bad fats (cholesterol and triglycerides) in your blood, and before you know it you have the dreaded Metabolic Syndrome. As the name suggests, Metabolic Syndrome is a clustering of several of the most dangerous risk factors for heart attack and type 2 diabetes, and includes high fasting blood sugar (glucose), abdominal obesity, elevated cholesterol and triglycerides and high blood pressure. People with Metabolic Syndrome are twice as likely to die from, and three times as likely to have a heart attack or stroke compared with others.
How do you know whether you have Metabolic Syndrome? The definition varies slightly from one region to another, but recently the International Diabetes Federation published widely accepted criteria now being used for defining the ... more>> |
