An Overview about Management of Metabolic Syndrome

Abstract

The definition of MetS encompass the presence of obesity and two of the three following criteria: high blood pressure, impaired glucose metabolism, elevated non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol level (atherogenic dyslipidaemia). Obesity is a disorder of energy homeostasis which manifests as excessive adipose tissue accumulation. It is diagnosed based on the body mass index (BMI) assuming that values above 30 kg/m2 con- firm the diagnosis. The BMI, however, does not provide information on adipose tissue distribution (visceral or femoral- gluteal), so waist circumference measurements are used (the midpoint between the iliac crest and the lowest rib along the midaxillary line defines the measurement level). Weight loss is one of the primary interventions to positively affect all MetS conditions. The imbalance between energy intake and expenditure is the key cause of overweight and obesity, which are a part of the metabolic syndrome. Several plant extracts, spices, herbs, and essential oil extracts have apparent benefit in the management of patients with MetS but  cannot be considered as an alternative for pharmacotherapy. However,  these may be a promising field in the development of novel therapies. The crucial effects of physical activity include increase of HDL-C levels, reduction of triglyceride levels, improvement of glycaemic control due to increased tissue sensitivity to insulin, and blood pressure reduction.