Discuss the health concerns linked with metabolic syndrome. Who is at most risk for this condition? Provide examples and touch on the role of sugary soft drinks

Answer 1

Metabolic syndrome, once called Syndrome X, or insulin-resistant syndrome, is not a disease but
a cluster of disorders of the body's metabolism. Included in this cluster are high blood pressure, high insulin levels, abdominal obesity, and abnormal cholesterol levels that make a person more likely to develop diabetes, heart disease, or stroke.

Although the prevalence of metabolic syndrome is one the wane, a significant number of Americans, especially black and Hispanic men and women, remain at risk. For example:
• At a historically black college, about one-third of students had at least one criterion for metabolic disorder; one-fifth had two.
• Young adults with metabolic syndrome are more likely than others their age to have thicker neck arteries, an indicator of atherosclerosis—the buildup of fatty plaques in arteries.
• Because retired professional football players have increased rates of metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis, health professionals have called for regular screening of athletes, beginning in high school and college.

An all-too-common culprit for young people is consumption of sugary soft drinks, which, according to the American Heart Association, contributes to 130,000 new cases of diabetes and 14,000 new cases of heart disease every year. Diet soft drinks also have been linked to the development of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.