| Connect the Dots:
Cardiovascular Health, Diabetes, Diet
and Exercise
Free Class Next Month Focuses on
"Metabolic Syndrome" and Healthy Diet
Tri-City Voice, May 30, 2006 Hypertension, diabetes, obesity. These terms are all beginning to sound
familiar thanks to increased public awareness. Put all three together, though,
and we have a term not as many are familiar with -- metabolic syndrome.
On Monday, June 5, Dr. Steven Curran, Washington Hospital Medical Staff family
practice physician and medical director of Washington Clinic/Warm Springs and
Washington Clinic/Newark, will present a seminar to shed some light on the
topic, and more importantly, explain how metabolic syndrome might impact you or
a loved one.
Know the risk factors
According to Curran, metabolic syndrome is best described as a "cluster" of risk
factors present in one person. The American Heart Association defines the
factors associated with metabolic syndrome as:
- Abdominal obesity (excessive fat tissue in and around the abdomen)
- Atherogenic dyslipidemia (blood fat disorders -- high triglycerides, low
HDL cholesterol and high LDL cholesterol -- that foster plaque buildups in
artery walls)
- Elevated blood pressure
- Insulin resistance or glucose intolerance (the body can’t properly use
insulin or blood sugar)
- Prothrombotic state (e.g., high fibrinogen or plasminogen activator
inhibitor--1 in the blood)
- Proinflammatory state (e.g., elevated C-reactive protein in the blood)
It sounds complicated, but the most important thing to remember is that to be
diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, a person must exhibit at least three of the
risk factors. While metabolic syndrome is a relatively new term, Curran says,
the individual components that make it up have long been recognized in the
medical community.
Metabolic syndrome is significant because even borderline elevation of certain
factors associated with it can mean you are at higher risk for heart disease and
stroke. Curran refers to heart disease and stroke as "Public Enemy No. 1"
because they kill more Americans than any other diseases combined.
"It does appear that metabolic syndrome is on the rise," Curran says. "One scary
statistic is that some 47 million Americans may be affected."
Catch it early
If you think you might be at risk for metabolic syndrome, it’s a good idea to
follow up with your doctor. High blood pressure, diabetes and obesity many times
can be symptom-free causing patients to ignore them far longer than they should.
Just because you "feel fine" doesn’t mean your health is not suffering. But,
with the help of your family physician, you can begin getting the factors of
metabolic syndrome under control.
"Early intervention is important," Curran says. "First, we take an aggressive
approach with diet and exercise and close follow-up. Then we’ll talk to patients
about more specific goals in terms of blood sugar, specific weight loss goal,
and blood pressure. We don’t want patients to fall through the cracks. With
metabolic syndrome, good numbers are not good enough. You need great numbers."
Get a good start with proper nutrition
Anna Mazzei, a registered clinical dietitian at Washington Hospital, will be
talking in-depth about diet and nutrition during the June 5 class.
Proper nutrition and exercise can go a long way towards helping people
achieve their healthy weight. The good news is that maintaining a healthy weight
doesn’t require a series of unhealthy "crash" diets. International No Diet Day,
recognized this month, focuses on celebrating the diversity of all bodies and
shapes and encourages people to rethink constant dieting while focusing on
balanced nutrition.
"You have to accept a healthy weight for yourself that may not be the ‘ideal’
weight you have in your mind," according to Mazzei. "Your healthy weight may not
be the same weight you’ll see in Hollywood."
An important part of maintaining a healthy weight, in addition to proper diet,
according to Mazzei, is something many diets don’t focus on -- exercise. But
physical activity makes a huge difference helping your body burn calories more
efficiently.
"The problem is managing these diets once you have met your goal," Mazzei says.
"Many diets might be a good starting point if you need help, but you have to
make permanent lifestyle changes. Diets glamorize ‘the weight loss answer.’
People are looking for a magic bullet. For example, encouraging excess of one
food group and/or excluding another."
Mazzei, who is also a certified diabetes educator, recommends common sense
eating, which includes a variety of lower fat foods and controlling portions.
Making healthy choices
"There is no one food group that gives your body everything it needs," Mazzei
says. "Vitamins and minerals, fiber, protein -- they all come from different
sources. Milk is great for calcium but doesn’t have fiber. It’s important to
select choices from each food group. They all have something to offer."
Make healthy choices, Mazzei adds, but don’t beat yourself up when you have that
candy bar at lunch and then use it as an excuse to binge for two or three days
before going back on another diet.
"You have to accept what you can and cannot do," Mazzei says. "Always look for
the opportunity to make the healthier choice."
For anyone who has ever groaned at the mention of exercise (while imagining
toiling on the treadmill for hours), increasing your activity level gradually,
Mazzei says, can have major results over the long run for both weight loss -- if
that’s what you’re trying to achieve -- and overall health.
"Look for those opportunities to make healthy choices consistently -- such as
choosing fresh fruits and vegetables or the chance to increase your activity
level," Mazzei says. "Over time, these changes will make the difference. You
have to be patient. For those concerned about losing weight, take a 15- to
30-minute walk during lunch, use the stairs rather than the elevator and walk
the dog. You can break up your exercise, such as taking a 10- to 15-minute walk
three times a day. Try to choose an activity you enjoy.
There are plenty of ways to achieve healthy weight loss without fad diets or
beating yourself up. If you feel you overeat for emotional reasons, such as
stress, and that it’s affecting your health, Mazzei recommends seeking
professional help to get at the root of the problem.
Learn more!
During the Health & Wellness class, "The Metabolic Syndrome," Dr. Curran will
discuss the combined effects of hypertension, diabetes and weight problems, and
Mazzei will talk about nutrition and diet.
The class will be held on Monday, June 5 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the conference
center adjacent to the new Nakamura Clinic, Union City located at 33077
Alvarado-Niles Road on the corner of Dowe Avenue.
You must register to attend the class. Call Health Connection at (800) 963-7070
to register or learn more. |
