Risk Factors
Are you at risk for metabolic syndrome? Metabolic syndrome is actually the name for a number of risk factors. Dr. Richard Bebb, an endocrinologist active in the Men's Health Intitative of BC, provides the following risk factors for metabolic syndrome:
- Central body fat accumulation: “Some of that's genetic, if your mom or your dad tended to carry weight around the middle, then sadly you've probably picked up some of the genes for that, and that could be part of the cause,” says Dr. Bebb.
- Lifestyle: “Many of us now spend a lot of time behind computers. We don't exercise as much as we used to, and exercise is critical to control your body weight,” he says.
- Family history: Does someone in your family have metabolic syndrome or diabetes?
- Certain diseases such as high blood pressure or polycystic ovary syndrome in women can increase your risk.
“If you have concern about your weight, if you're worried about your blood pressure, if you think you have metabolic syndrome or you're concerned about heart risk, you should check with your practitioner and have yourself assessed,” says Dr. Bebb.
