V.A. Medical Center, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, 4100 West Third St, Dayton, OH, 45428, USA.
Curr Hypertens Rep. 2018 Feb 26;20(2):12. doi: 10.1007/s11906-018-0812-z.
Metabolic syndrome, variously known also as syndrome X, insulin resistance, etc., is defined by WHO as a pathologic condition characterized by abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. Though there is some variation in the definition by other health care organization, the differences are minor. With the successful conquest of communicable infectious diseases in most of the world, this new non-communicable disease (NCD) has become the major health hazard of modern world. Though it started in the Western world, with the spread of the Western lifestyle across the globe, it has become now a truly global problem. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome is often more in the urban population of some developing countries than in its Western counterparts. The two basic forces spreading this malady are the increase in consumption of high calorie-low fiber fast food and the decrease in physical activity due to mechanized transportations and sedentary form of leisure time activities. The syndrome feeds into the spread of the diseases like type 2 diabetes, coronary diseases, stroke, and other disabilities. The total cost of the malady including the cost of health care and loss of potential economic activity is in trillions. The present trend is not sustainable unless a magic cure is found (unlikely) or concerted global/governmental/societal efforts are made to change the lifestyle that is promoting it. There are certainly some elements in the causation of the metabolic syndrome that cannot be changed but many are amenable for corrections and curtailments. For example, better urban planning to encourage active lifestyle, subsidizing consumption of whole grains and possible taxing high calorie snacks, restricting media advertisement of unhealthy food, etc. Revitalizing old fashion healthier lifestyle, promoting old-fashioned foods using healthy herbs rather than oil and sugar, and educating people about choosing healthy/wholesome food over junks are among the steps that can be considered.
代谢综合征，也被称为综合征 X、胰岛素抵抗等，世界卫生组织将其定义为一种病理状态，其特征为腹部肥胖、胰岛素抵抗、高血压和血脂异常。虽然其他医疗机构的定义有所不同，但差异很小。随着世界上大多数地区传染性疾病的成功控制，这种新的非传染性疾病（NCD）已成为现代世界的主要健康威胁。虽然它始于西方世界，但随着西方生活方式在全球的传播，它现在已成为一个真正的全球性问题。代谢综合征的流行率在一些发展中国家的城市人口中往往高于其西方对应者。传播这种疾病的两个基本因素是高热量、低纤维快餐的消费增加和由于机械化交通工具和久坐的休闲时间活动导致的体力活动减少。该综合征加剧了 2 型糖尿病、冠心病、中风和其他残疾等疾病的传播。包括医疗保健费用和潜在经济活动损失在内，该疾病的总费用达数万亿美元。除非找到神奇的治疗方法（不太可能），或者全球/政府/社会共同努力改变促进其发展的生活方式，否则目前的趋势是不可持续的。代谢综合征的病因中有一些是无法改变的，但许多是可以纠正和控制的。例如，更好的城市规划以鼓励积极的生活方式，补贴全谷物的消费，并可能对高热量零食征税，限制媒体对不健康食品的广告宣传等。恢复旧的、更健康的生活方式，使用健康的草药而不是油和糖来推广旧的食物，并教育人们选择健康/有益的食物而不是垃圾食品，这些都是可以考虑的措施。
