One-Third of Americans Have a Syndrome That Could Kill Them — Do You?

(News Quench) – An alarming 34.7 percent of Americans have a condition known as metabolic syndrome, which stems from high blood pressure and high abdominal fat and can lead to dangerous heart conditions or a stroke.

The research, published in the journal JAMA and using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, found that prevalence of the syndrome jumped from 32.9 percent a decade ago to 34.7 percent in 2011-12 — although there is good news, as that figure has stabilized in recent years, Los Angeles Times report.

Those who have metabolic syndrome have at least three of a number of risk factors, including high triglycerides, low “good” HDL cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, a large waist, and high fasting blood sugar, based on guidelines from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

It’s the obesity epidemic that is driving the high incidence of metabolic syndrome, which raises a person’s risks dramatically for a stroke or coronary heart disease — or even diabetes. It affects such a huge volume of Americans that many don’t even know how high of a risk they are for a premature death.

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