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Home > Health Conditions > Syndrome X

Syndrome X/Metabolic Syndrome/Insulin Resistance

Related Topics:

• diabetes / hypertension / HDL cholesterol / triglycerides / obesity / weight control / cortisol / 11beta-HSD1 / PGX / glucomannan / chromium / coenzyme Q10 / magnesium / vitamin E

Alternative News:

• Insulin Resistance Syndrome - Vitacost Health Library
• Diabetes Type II and the Syndrome X Connection - Life Extension Foundation
• Insulin Resistance: The Hidden Disease You May Already Have - thenutritionreporter.com
• Syndrome-X - syndrome-x.com
• n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids in patients with the metabolic syndrome: a case-control study in Korea - Br J Nutr. 2008 Feb 28;:1-6 - "trans fatty acids of erythrocytes (RBC) ... There were significant positive relationships between trans fatty acids and waist circumference, and between trans fatty acids and BMI. The results suggested that RBC trans fatty acids might be a predictor of increased risk for the metabolic syndrome, but n-3 fatty acids were not in this population"
• Are there specific treatments for the metabolic syndrome? - Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Jan;87(1):8-11 - "Although there is no "all-inclusive" diet yet, it seems plausible that a Mediterranean-style diet has most of the desired attributes, including a lower content of refined carbohydrates, a high content of fiber, a moderate content of fat (mostly unsaturated), and a moderate-to-high content of vegetable proteins"
• Renoprotective action of l-carnitine in fructose-induced metabolic syndrome - Diabetes Obes Metab. 2007 Dec 17 - "l-carnitine (CA) administration ... The benefits of CA in this model suggest the therapeutic use of CA to counter the kidney changes associated with metabolic syndrome" - See l-carnitine products at iHerb.
• Moderate Exercise Cuts Rate Of Metabolic Syndrome - Science Daily, 12/17/07 - "a person can lower risk of MetS by walking just 30 minutes a day, six days per week ... Before exercising regularly, 41 percent of the participants met the criteria for MetS. At the end of the 8-month exercise program, only 27 percent did"
• Antioxidants may stop fat cells formation, says study - Nutra USA, 11/12/07 - "These results suggest that o-coumaric acid and rutin targeted for adipocyte functions could be effective in improving the symptoms of metabolic syndrome" - [Abstract]
• Effects of flavonoids and phenolic acids on the inhibition of adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes - J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Oct 17;55(21):8404-10 - "These results suggest that o-coumaric acid and rutin targeted for adipocyte functions could be effective in improving the symptoms of metabolic syndrome"
• Intake of soluble fibers has a protective role for the presence of metabolic syndrome in patients with type 2 diabetes - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Sep 19 - "The intake of soluble fibers, particularly from whole-grain foods and fruits, may have a protective role for the presence of MS in this selected sample of patients with type 2 DM"
• Red Wine Compound May Curb Diabetes - WebMD, 10/2/07 - "Resveratrol curbs insulin resistance in mice ... According to our findings, people might need to drink about three liters of red wine each day to get sufficient resveratrol -- about 15 milligrams -- for its biological effects" - See resveratrol products at iHerb.
• Vitamin D deficiency is associated with the metabolic syndrome in morbid obesity - Clin Nutr. 2007 Jul 9 - "Vitamin D deficiency is associated with the metabolic syndrome in morbidly obese patients"
• Drinking milk cuts diabetes risk - BBC News, 7/13/07 - "metabolic syndrome increased the risk of death by 50% ... men were 62% less likely to have the syndrome if they drank a pint or more of milk every day, and 56% less likely to have it if they regularly ate other dairy produce"
• Preventing Progression From Impaired Glucose Tolerance to Diabetes - Medscape, 12/14/06 - "Every kilogram of weight lost resulted in a relative risk reduction of 16%, after adjusting for exercise and diet composition. A 5-kg weight loss resulted in a relative risk reduction of 58% ... These findings do not negate the role of exercise in weight loss; rather, they suggest that weight loss itself is the key factor, however one achieves it"
• n-3 fatty acids and the metabolic syndrome - Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Jun;83(6 Suppl):1499S-1504S - "Increased intakes or supplements of n-3 marine fatty acids may improve defects in insulin signaling and prevent alterations in glucose homeostasis and the further development of type 2 diabetes"
• Metabolic Syndrome, The Twenty-First Century Epidemic - Life Extension Magazine, 7/06 - "little attention has been paid to the critical role of insulin resistance in the development of cardiovascular disease. Insulin resistance is the root cause of metabolic syndrome ... Nutritional supplements can help improve blood sugar control and metabolic health naturally, without danger or stress to your body. Particularly compelling are polyphenol-rich, water-soluble extracts of cinnamon and coffee, along with green tea extract, chromium, and banaba leaf-derived corosolic acid"
• Calorie Restriction without Hunger! - Life Extension Magazine, 7/06 - "excess insulin functions as a death hormone that devastates virtually every cell and organ system in the body"
• Need More Magnesium? - Dr. Weil, 6/29/06 - "a diet rich in magnesium appears to protect against metabolic syndrome, a combination of risk factors that can lead to diabetes and heart disease"
• Magnesium Lowers Heart, Diabetes Risks - WebMD, 3/27/06 - "people in the study who consumed the most magnesium had a 31% lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome, compared with people who ate the least"
• Older Adults May Reduce Risk Of Metabolic Syndrome By Eating More Whole Grains - Science Daily, 2/6/06
• Older Adults May Reduce Risk of Metabolic Syndrome by Eating More Whole Grains - Doctor's Guide, 2/6/06 - "as whole-grain intake increased, fasting blood sugar levels were lower in these subjects. Refined grain intake, on the other hand, was associated with higher fasting blood sugar levels ... people who consumed high amounts of refined grains had twice the risk of having metabolic syndrome than those people who consumed the fewest servings of refined grains"
• Three-week Diet-Exercise Study Shows 50 Percent Reversal In Metabolic Syndrome, Type 2 Diabetes - Science Daily, 1/16/06 - "The study shows, contrary to common belief, that Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome can be reversed solely through lifestyle changes ... Participants did lose two to three pounds per week, but they were still obese after the 3-week study ... The daily diet was low fat (12-15% of calories), moderate protein (15-20% of calories), and high in unrefined carbohydrates (65-70% of calories) and fiber (more than 40 grams) ... Natural foods -- whole grains (five or more servings daily), vegetables (four or more servings), and fruits (three or more servings) -- were the main source of daily carbohydrates ... Aside from meat and dairy, the study participants could eat as much as they wanted"
• Wholegrains ease metabolic syndrome in older people - Nutra USA, 1/12/06 - "Volunteers in the highest wholegrain intake group (3 servings per day) were statistically half as likely to develop MetS as those who consumed less than half a serving per day"
• A New Strategy for Preventing Metabolic Syndrome - Life Extension Magazine, 12/05 - "Nutraceutical strategy ... DHEA: 10-50 mg per day to start (men), 10-30 mg per day to start (women); assess effect via repeat blood test ... EPA/DHA: 2 capsules twice daily ... Lipoic acid: 150 mg once or twice daily ... Mixed bioflavonoids: 1400 mg twice daily ... Mixed tocopherols: 400 IU twice daily with mixed tocotrienols (75 mg twice daily) ... Vitamin A: 5000 IU per day, with mixed carotenoids (for example, lutein 5000 mcg, lycopene 3000 mcg, and zeaxanthin 360 mcg) daily ... Water-soluble cinnamon extract: 85 mg three times daily, 30 minutes before meals ... Barley extract: 2.5 grams three times daily with meals ... Pycnogenol: 200 mg daily ... Coffee extract standardized for 50% phenolic acids: 100 mg three times daily, 30 minutes before meals"
• More Dairy, Less Metabolic Syndrome? - WebMD, 11/17/05 - "skim milk or other low-fat dairy products are the best route to go ... the group with the highest dairy consumption was 40% less likely to have metabolic syndrome, compared with the group of men with the lowest dairy consumption"
• Low-carb Diet Better Than Low-fat Diet At Improving Metabolic Syndrome - Science Daily, 11/16/05 - "the features of metabolic syndrome are precisely those that are improved by reducing carbohydrates in the diet"
• Study Results Show Diachrome(R) Improves Poorly-Controlled Blood Sugar Levels for People on Antidiabetic Prescription Medications - Doctor's Guide, 9/13/05 - "Study participants taking Diachrome with one or more antidiabetic medications saw an average range of 0.7 - 1.9% point reduction in HbA1c levels. The study also showed that insulin resistance was significantly reduced (P<0.05) in those taking thiazolidinediones and Diachrome ... Diachrome is a nutritional supplement specifically formulated for people with diabetes. It contains 600 mcg of chromium as Chromax(R) chromium picolinate and 2 mg of biotin" - See iHerb or Vitacost chromium products and iHerb or Vitacost biotin products.
• Vinegar may help dieters eat less - Nutra USA, 9/7/05 - "Both glucose and insulin responses were about 25 per cent lower at 90 minutes when the volunteers had consumed the highest level of vinegar compared to the reference meal ... This level of vinegar is equivalent to about two to three tablespoons"
• Vinegar supplementation lowers glucose and insulin responses and increases satiety after a bread meal in healthy subjects - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jun 2 - "Compared with the reference meal, the highest level of vinegar significantly lowered the blood glucose response at 30 and 45 min"
• High Glycemic Index or High Carbohydrate Diet May Not Increase Risk of Insulin Resistance - Medscape, 6/6/05 - "Habitual intake of diets with a high glycemic index and high glycemic load or diets with a high content of total carbohydrate including simple sugars was not associated with the probability of having insulin resistance ... intake of dietary fiber was inversely associated with the probability of having insulin resistance"
• Magnesium Intake, C-Reactive Protein, and the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Middle-Aged and Older U.S. Women - Diabetes Care. 2005 Jun;28(6):1438-1444 - "women in the highest quintile of magnesium intake had 27% lower risk of the metabolic syndrome ... compared with those in the lowest quintile of intake"
• Does Replacing DHEA Improve Insulin Sensitivity? - Physician's Weekly, 5/16/05 - "DHEA replacement “significantly increased [sulfated ester of DHEA], bioavailable testosterone, and androstenedione and reduced sex hormone–binding globulin levels.” The DHEA group also had lower fasting plasma insulin and glucagon levels. “DHEA also [significantly] reduced total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol,”" - See iHerb or Vitacost DHEA products
• Magnesium Deficiency in Obese Children May Be Linked to Insulin Resistance - Medscape, 5/9/05 - "Magnesium deficiency in obese children is associated with the development of insulin resistance"
• WARNING! Normal Blood Pressure May Be High Blood Pressure! - Life Extension Magazine, 5/05 - "To Solve Hypertension, Address Metabolic Syndrome"
• Long or Short Sleep Time May Be Associated With Diabetes - Medscape, 4/26/05 - "Sleep duration of six hours or less or nine hours or more is associated with increased prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)"
• Vinegar as a Sweet Solution? - Science News, 12/18/04 - "2 tablespoons of vinegar before a meal—perhaps, as part of a vinaigrette salad dressing—will dramatically reduce the spike in blood concentrations of insulin and glucose that come after a meal ... vinegar cut their blood-glucose rise in the first hour after a meal by about half ... a 2-pound weight loss, on average, over the 4 weeks in the vinegar group"
• Exercise Away Risk of Early Death - WebMD, 12/29/04 - "After six months, 18% of exercisers and 15% of the comparison group no longer had metabolic syndrome. However, 8% of volunteers in the comparison group had developed the syndrome ... Older people can benefit greatly from exercise, especially to reduce their risk for developing metabolic syndrome"
• Exercise May Reduce Metabolic Syndrome Risks - WebMD, 11/15/04 - "physical fitness was associated with lower levels of an inflammation marker associated with heart disease, known as C-reactive protein"
• Low-Fat, High-Fiber, Exercising Helpful for Metabolic Syndrome - Doctor's Guide, 10/22/04 - "The diet contained 12% to 15% fat calories and less than 30 grams of fiber daily ... As part of the exercise program, patients performed 45 to 60 minutes of aerobic activity daily. Strength training exercises were included in the workout about 3 times a week ... 58% of the patients in the study no longer met three or more of those criteria by the time the patients completed the study"
• Effect of a mediterranean-style diet on endothelial dysfunction and markers of vascular inflammation in the metabolic syndrome: a randomized trial - JAMA. 2004 Sep 22;292(12):1440-6 - "A Mediterranean-style diet might be effective in reducing the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its associated cardiovascular risk"
• Insulin resistance and endothelial function are improved after folate and vitamin B12 therapy in patients with metabolic syndrome: relationship between homocysteine levels and hyperinsulinemia -  Eur J Endocrinol. 2004 Oct;151(4):483-9 - "Folate and B12 treatment improved insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction, along with decreasing homocysteine levels, in patients with the metabolic syndrome, suggesting that folic acid had several beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease risk factors"
• Mediterranean Diet May Be Effective in Reducing Metabolic Syndrome and Associated Symptoms - Doctor's Guide, 9/22/04 - "after 2 years, patients in the Mediterranean diet intervention group had significant decreases in body weight, blood pressure, levels of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, and triglycerides and a significant increase in levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ... Serum concentrations of interleukins 6 (IL-6), 7 (IL-7), and 18 (IL-18) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were significantly reduced in patients in the intervention group"
• Novel Fiber Limits Sugar Absorption - Life Extension Magazine, 9/04 - "With the introduction of a new highly viscous fiber blend trademarked under the name PGX™, it may now be possible to achieve the multiple documented benefits of fiber by swallowing only a few capsules before each meal. The longevity potential associated with reducing after-meal glucose and insulin blood levels, lowering total cholesterol and LDL, and losing some weight is enormous"
• Solving Syndrome X - Dr. Murray's Natural Facts, 7/21/04 - "PGX lowers after meal blood sugar levels by approximately 20 to 40% and also lowers insulin secretion by approximately 40% producing a whole body insulin sensitivity index improvement of nearly 60%"
• High-Fiber Cereal May Ward Off Diabetes - WebMD, 6/18/04 - "eating a high-fiber cereal lowered insulin production and reduced blood glucose levels in men with elevated insulin levels, a condition known as hyperinsulinemia"
• Insulin Plays Central Role In Aging, Brown Scientists Discover - Science Daily, 6/4/04 - "insulin regulates its own production and that it directly regulates tissue aging. The principle: Keep insulin levels low and cells are stronger, staving off infection and age-related diseases such as cancer, dementia and stroke"
• Moderate Alcohol May Improve Diabetes - WebMD, 6/1/04 - "alcohol improves the body's resistance to insulin -- the hallmark of type 2 diabetes ... the evidence from large-population studies is fairly consistent and shows a reduction in risk of 30% to 40% associated with moderate drinking"
• What makes people fat, why diets don't work, and what triggers appetite? - Dr. Murray's Natural Facts, 3/17/04 - "PGX™ lowers after meal blood sugar levels by approximately 20 to 40% and also lowers insulin secretion by approximately 40% producing a whole body insulin sensitivity index improvement of nearly 50% - a phenomenal accomplishment that is unequalled by any drug or natural health product.10 PGX™ is particularly well-suited for syndrome X" - See iHerb or Vitacost PGX products.
• Eating Whole Grains Pays Off - WebMD, 2/19/04 - "greater consumption of whole-grain, cereal fiber, and diets with lower glycemic index were associated with better insulin sensitivity and were less likely to be affected by insulin resistant or the metabolic syndrome"
• Wholegrain intake associated with lower risk of metabolic syndrome - Nutra USA, 2/18/04 - "intakes of total dietary fiber, cereal fiber, fruit fiber, and whole grains were inversely associated, whereas glycemic index and glycemic load were positively associated with insulin resistance"
• Diet, lifestyle may lower colon cancer risk - MSNBC, 1/23/04 - "One prime suspect now is insulin resistance. In this condition, higher levels of insulin circulate because the body is less responsive to it. Insulin and related growth factors seem to change cell processes in ways that promote the development of cancer"
• What You Don’t Know About Blood Sugar - Life Extension Magazine, 1/04 - "it now appears that optimal fasting blood glucose levels should probably be under 86 mg/dL ... Chromium supplements have been shown to reduce blood glucose significantly.70-74 The dose used in human studies ranges from 200 to 1000 mcg of elemental chromium a day, with best results occurring when 400 mcg or more of chromium is taken daily ... Nondiabetics using metformin may start off at 500 mg a day and gradually build up to 1000-1500 mg a day. The objective is not to take so much metformin as to induce a hypoglycemic state" - See iHerb or Vitacost chromium products.
• Higher Whole-Grain Intake Associated With Increased Insulin Sensitivity - Medscape, 11/7/03 - "Given that insulin sensitivity is one of the main predictors of diabetes, our findings support previous reports on the protective effects of whole grains on the risk of developing diabetes in men and women by substantiating one of the underlying mechanisms"
• Whole-grain intake and insulin sensitivity: the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Nov;78(5):965-71 - "Higher intakes of whole grains were associated with increases in insulin sensitivity"
• Exercise, Weight Loss Helps Patients with Syndrome X - Physician's Weekly, 10/6/03
• The potential of metformin for diabetes prevention - Diabetes Metab. 2003 Sep;29(4):104-11 - "Treatment with metformin significantly reduced the incidence of diabetes in subjects with IGT and high-normal fasting plasma glucose in the DPP. Moreover, metformin was well tolerated, and health economic analyses suggest that metformin treatment is cost-effective in the US and Europe ... The results of the DPP identify metformin as an effective option for the prevention of diabetes in subjects with IGT and impaired fasting glucose"
• Potential contribution of metformin to the management of cardiovascular disease risk in patients with abdominal obesity, the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes - Diabetes Metab. 2003 Sep;29(4):53-61 - "metformin has been shown to not only contribute to a better glycaemic control but also to induce some weight loss (especially in the visceral depot) which may contribute to the improvement of the features of the metabolic syndrome. Thus, metformin treatment may represent a relevant element of an integrated lifestyle modification-pharmacotherapy to prevent not only type 2 diabetes but also cardiovascular disease"
• Metformin: drug of choice for the prevention of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular complications in high-risk subjects - Diabetes Metab. 2003 Sep;29(4):121-2 - "Metformin is unique in being not only as effective as any other oral antidiabetic therapy in controlling blood glucose, but also having an unparalleled clinical database relating to improved clinical outcomes in pre-diabetic subjects, and patients with established type 2 diabetes"
• Do effects on blood pressure contribute to improved clinical outcomes with metformin? - Diabetes Metab. 2003 Sep;29(4):62-70 - "Metformin improves insulin sensitivity in liver and muscle as its primary antihyperglycaemic mechanism of action, and intensive glycaemic management with metformin significantly reduced the risk of macrovascular diabetic complications in the UK Prospective Diabetes Study. The clinical outcome benefits in the metformin group included a significant reduction in the risk of stroke (- 41% vs + 14% with sulphonylurea or insulin treatment, p=0.032) ... metformin significantly improved endothelial function, a key regulator of vascular tone and blood pressure, in type 2 diabetic patients"
• The Chromium Connection - Natural Foods Merchandiser, 9/03 - "The body requires certain nutrients to control glucose metabolism, especially chromium, zinc and vitamins B and C ... Diabetes is devastating because of its consequences. The condition often leads to hypertension, lipid disorders, cardiovascular disease, blindness, skin problems, nerve damage, kidney disorders and loss of limbs. Although it appears chromium picolinate may benefit your customers with type 2 diabetes, supplementation represents just one facet of treatment" - See iHerb or Vitacost chromium products.
• Chromium Supplements Appear to Improve Glucose Sensitivity in Diabetics - Medscape, 8/29/03 - "We think that chromium picolinate can influence a person's diabetic treatment so that levels of insulin required may be reduced ... HbA1c levels decreased from 9.5% to 9% during a six-month period in patients receiving a higher dose of the supplement, a difference that was statistically significant ... The study also showed a significant reduction in cholesterol levels and trends for improvement in triglycerides in both chromium picolinate groups as well as a reduction in blood pressure in all groups" - See iHerb or Vitacost chromium products.
• Light Drinking Fights Metabolic Syndrome - WebMD, 9/5/03 - "men and women who drank one to two glasses of wine per day had a 16% lower risk of metabolic syndrome than those who abstained. But those who drank three to four glasses of wine per day had an 81% higher risk of metabolic syndrome, and drinking more than five glasses a day doubled that increase in risk"
• DHEA May Fight Heart Disease, But How? - WebMD, 7/23/03 - "Endothelial dysfunction is known to contribute to atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries ... men who received 25 mg per day of DHEA supplements for 12 weeks experienced significant improvement in endothelial function as well as insulin sensitivity compared with those who took a placebo" - See iHerb or Vitacost DHEA products.
• Ginseng May Help Treat Diabetes - WebMD, 6/16/03 - "There are two reasons blood sugar can be out of control in [people with diabetes] ... Your body's tissues are not responsive enough to insulin so they don't process it properly and/or you don't make enough insulin to begin with ... Ginseng, he said, appears to help the patients both to secrete more insulin and to process better the insulin they have" - See iHerb or Vitacost American ginseng products.
• Green Tea Supplement May Delay Diabetes - WebMD, 4/16/03
• A Derivative Of The Green Tea Leaf May Help With Metabolic Syndrome X, A Potentially Deadly Disorder - Intelihealth, 4/10/03 - "A new weapon might eventually be added to the arsenal: consumption of Tegreen, a tea polyphenols product containing in excess of 65 percent tea catechins, derived from the green tea leaf ... oral administration of Tegreen is capable of improving glucose and lipid metabolisms in an obese rat model induced by a high-calorie diet ... Tegreen intervention can significantly decrease visceral fat depot and increase the insulin's sensitivity, presumably touching one of the pathological root causes of this potentially deadly syndrome" - See iHerb or Vitacost green tea extracts.  My favorite is Jarrow green tea at iHerb.
• Oral Magnesium Supplementation Improves Insulin Sensitivity and Metabolic Control in Type 2 Diabetic Subjects: A randomized double-blind controlled trial - Diabetes Care 2003 Apr;26(4):1147-52 - "At the end of the study, subjects who received magnesium supplementation showed ... fasting glucose levels (8.0 +/- 2.4 vs. 10.3 +/- 2.1 mmol/l ... Oral supplementation with MgCl(2) solution restores serum magnesium levels, improving insulin sensitivity and metabolic control in type 2 diabetic patients with decreased serum magnesium levels" - See iHerb or Vitacost magnesium products.
• Effects Of Alcohol, Lipids And Insulin In Non-Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 4/3/03 - "In men, increasing alcohol consumption was associated with decreased insulin levels as well as a decline in insulin resistance. However, these effects were not apparent among women ... In men, triglyceride levels and alcohol intake showed a J-shaped relationship. Moderate drinkers, who consumed between 10 and 29 g of alcohol daily, showed the lowest triglyceride levels"
• Prevent and Reverse Diabetes with Proper Nutrition - Vitacost Newsletter, 2/20/03
• Aerobic Exercise Improves Insulin Sensitivity Without Affecting Plasma Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha - Doctor's Guide, 11/19/02
• Conjugated Linoleic Acid Isomer May Worsen Insulin Resistance by Increasing Oxidative Stress and Inflammation - Doctor's Guide, 9/5/02
• Novel Method of Enhancing Anti-Fat Effects of CLA - Life Extension Magazine, 8/02 - "CLA improves insulin sensitivity" - See iHerb or Vitacost CLA products.
• The Benefits of Carnitine and DHEA for Fat Metabolism - Life Extension Magazine, 8/02 - "Carnitine is an amino acid that's critical for converting fatty acids into fuel. Because of this, it has the potential to help people lose weight ... A lack of DHEA may be one of the primary causes of insulin resistance"
• Insulin Sensitivity Increases with Physical Exercise in Hypertensive Subjects - Doctor's Guide, 5/24/02
• Do You Have Metabolic Syndrome? - WebMD, 1/15/02
• The Prediabetic Epidemic - Nutrition Science News, 3/01

CME:

• Insulin Resistance Syndrome - U. of Alabama, exp. 3/1/07 - "it is prudent to counsel patients to eat a low-fat diet rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates ... preferred hypertension therapies include angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor antagonists, and calcium channel blockers ... For hyperlipidemia unresponsive to lifestyle modification, lipid-lowering medication is recommended"
• Conquering the Ravages of Metabolic Syndrome - John Hopkins University, 6/05
• High Normal Fasting Blood Glucose May Be a Risk Factor for Diabetes in Men - Medscape, exp. 10/5/05
• A Debate on the Metabolic Syndrome: Evolving Challenges and Controversies - Medscape, exp. 8/31/07
• Clinical Management of the Metabolic Syndrome - Medscape, 7/27/05 - "TZDs not only improve glucose control but favorably affect both free fatty acid metabolism and insulin action. TZD therapy has been proposed as a treatment for the metabolic syndrome by some, and a number of reports at this year's ADA meeting provided support for such an approach to therapy"
• The Metabolic Syndrome - Medscape, exp. 7/27/06
• The Obesity Epidemic: Prevention and Treatment of the Metabolic Syndrome - Medscape, 9/18/02
• Insulin Resistance: Implications for Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases - Medscape, 9/27/01

General Information:

• Metabolic syndrome - CNN - "Doctors believe that the underlying cause of this cluster of risk factors is resistance to insulin ... Doctors use thiazolidinediones and metformin (Glucophage, Glucophage XR) to decrease insulin resistance in people with diabetes. These medications may help improve insulin metabolism in people with metabolic syndrome" - See Glucophage at SuperSaverMeds.com or OffshoreRX.com.
• Metabolic Syndrome - American Academy of Family Physicians
• Metabolic Syndrome - emedicine.com
• Metabolic Syndrome - FamilyDoctor.org
• Treatments for diabetes - Medifocus.com

Other News:

• Insulin-Resistant Cardiomyopathy - Medscape, 1/15/08 - "Increasing evidence points to insulin resistance as a primary etiologic factor in the development of nonischemic heart failure (HF) ... Epidemiological evidence suggests more than simply a correlation between insulin resistance and HF, demonstrating that insulin resistance precedes HF rather than occurring as a consequence of it ... Medications that work primarily by improving insulin sensitivity (metformin, thiazolidinediones [TZDs]) might theoretically be the most attractive therapies" - See my web page on Insulin and Aging.
• Elasticity Indices of Large and Small Arteries in Relation to the Metabolic Syndrome in Chinese - Am J Hypertens. 2008 Jan 10 - "The metabolic syndrome is indeed a risk factor for reduced arterial elasticity"
• Overcoming Metabolic Syndrome - Science Daily, 1/10/08
• Testosterone, diabetes mellitus, and the metabolic syndrome - Curr Urol Rep. 2007 Nov;8(6):467-71 - "One third of men with type 2 diabetes mellitus are now recognized as testosterone deficient. Emerging evidence suggests that testosterone therapy may be able to reverse some aspects of metabolic syndrome"
• Effect of the Angiotensin Receptor Blocker Irbesartan on Metabolic Parameters in Clinical Practice: the DO-IT Prospective Observational Study - Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2007 Nov 27;6(1):36 - "Six months of irbesartan therapy decreased systolic blood pressure by 14% (157.4+/-14.7 vs. 135.0+/-10.7 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure by 13% (92.9+/-9.2 vs. 80.8+/-6.8 mmHg). This was associated with a decrease in body weight (-2.3%), fasting glucose (-9.5%), HbA1c (-4.6%), LDL-cholesterol (-11%), triglycerides (-16%) and gamma-GT (-12%) and an increase in HDL-cholesterol (+5%)"
• Effects of androgen deprivation on glycaemic control and on cardiovascular biochemical risk factors in men with advanced prostate cancer with diabetes - Aging Male. 2007 Dec;10(4):189-96 - "In men with insulin-dependent diabetes, androgen deprivation therapy may have negative effects on their glycaemic control and may aggravate the biochemical risk profile of cardiovascular disease to which diabetics are predisposed. These observations are in agreement with the emerging role of low levels of testosterone in metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance"
• Testosterone, diabetes mellitus, and the metabolic syndrome - Curr Urol Rep. 2007 Nov;8(6):467-71 - "One third of men with type 2 diabetes mellitus are now recognized as testosterone deficient. Emerging evidence suggests that testosterone therapy may be able to reverse some aspects of metabolic syndrome"
• Women With High Or Increasing Blood Pressure Are Up To Three Times More Likely To Develop Diabetes - Science Daily, 10/9/07 - "women who have high blood pressure levels are three times more likely to develop diabetes than women with low blood pressure levels ... The authors suggest a possible mechanism for the relation between BP and diabetes may be endothelial dysfunction -- a dysfunction of the normal biochemical processes carried out by the layer of cells that line the inner surfaces of blood vessels. "It may be a precursor of both hypertension and diabetes," ... the progression of endothelial dysfunction may cause worsening of both BP and blood glucose. This is in line with the fact that both BP and blood glucose occur together as part of the metabolic syndrome"
• Identification and Management of Metabolic Syndrome - Medscape, 10/3/07 - "Metabolic Risk Factor Goals and Recommendations ..."
• Metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors in subjects with impaired fasting glucose: the 100 versus 110 mg/dL threshold - Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2007 Oct;23(7):547-550 - "IFG110 was associated with higher risk of post-challenge glucose intolerance as compared with IFG100. As compared with IFG100, subjects with IFG110 have significantly lower levels of circulating IGF-I. As compared with NFG, IFG110, but not IFG100, showed a significant association with increased levels of inflammatory markers including white blood cell count (WBCC), and C-reactive protein (CRP)"
• Is the metabolic syndrome a risk factor for female sexual dysfunction in sexually active women? - Int J Impot Res. 2007 Sep 20 - "In premenopausal women, the MS was an independent risk factor for impaired sexual desire (P=0.03) with an age-adjusted odds ratio of 3.3 (95% confidence interval: 1.5-7.3). In premenopausal female sexual life, the MS represents an independent role via its correlation to impaired desire"
• Soda Consumption Linked To Metabolic Syndrome - Clinical Psychiatry News, 9/07 - "Drinking at least one soda per day is associated with a significantly higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome, compared with drinking less than one soft drink a day ... the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in those who drank one or more 12-ounce soft drinks per day was 48% higher than in those who drank fewer than one of these beverages daily"
• Serum testosterone level and related metabolic factors in men over 70 years old - J Endocrinol Invest. 2007 Jun;30(6):451-8 - "total testosterone is lower in elderly men with metabolic syndrome"
• Metabolic Syndrome: Don't Blame The Belly Fat - Science Daily, 7/19/07 - "insulin resistance in skeletal muscle leads to alterations in energy storage that set the stage for the metabolic syndrome"
• Study Links Blood Sugar to Newborn Risks - Intelihealth, 6/25/07 - "The higher a pregnant woman's level of blood sugar, the greater the risk to her newborn -- whether the mother has diabetes or not"
• Treating the metabolic syndrome - Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther. 2007 May;5(3):491-506 - "appropriate treatment of MS components often requires pharmacologic intervention with insulin-sensitizing agents, such as metformin and thiazolidinediones, while statins and fibrates, or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers are the first-line lipid-modifying or antihypertensive drugs"
• Do low levels of circulating adiponectin represent a biomarker or just another risk factor for the metabolic syndrome? - Diabetes Obes Metab. 2007 May;9(3):246-58 - "The metabolic syndrome is currently defined by various combinations of insulin resistance, obesity, dyslipidaemia and hypertension. The tendency for these risk factors to appear simultaneously suggests a single aetiologic basis. A low level of circulating adiponectin is associated with the appearance of each metabolic syndrome risk factor ... An association between the metabolic syndrome and low adiponectin supports the view that the development of the metabolic syndrome may be triggered by a single underlying mechanism. Clinical studies in the future may show that a low level of circulating adiponectin is a primary biomarker for a specific cluster of metabolic syndrome risk factors rather than all the possible combinations of risk factors currently used to identify the metabolic syndrome"
• Raised alanine transaminase and decreased adiponectin are features of the metabolic syndrome in patients with type 2 diabetes - Diabetes Obes Metab. 2007 May;9(3):438-40 - "Mean ALT was significantly higher in patients with the MS and higher ALT was associated with lower adiponectin levels. As the number of features of MS increased, ALT increased and adiponectin decreased independent of glycaemic control"
• Hyperglycemia Linked to Cancer Risk - Physician's Weekly, 5/7/07 - "Risk of cancer of the pancreas, endometrium, urinary tract, and of malignant melanoma was statistically significantly associated with high fasting glucose with [relative risk ratios] of 2.49, 1.86, 1.69, and 2.16, respectively"
• Insulin resistance is associated with increased risk of major cardiovascular events in patients with preexisting coronary artery disease - Am Heart J. 2007 Apr;153(4):559-65 - "Insulin resistance per se is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events and new diabetes in patients with preexisting coronary artery disease"
• Insulin resistance is associated with arterial stiffness independent of obesity in male adolescents - Hypertens Res. 2007 Jan;30(1):5-11 - "insulin resistance (IR) ... IR is a risk factor for the development of early atherosclerosis. Interventions that decrease IR in addition to weight reduction may be necessary to alter the early development of cardiovascular risk"
• High Insulin Levels Impair Intestinal Metabolic Function - Science Daily, 4/24/07 - "excessive insulin appears to slow the removal of chylomicrons from the blood stream following a fatty meal. Chylomicrons transport dietary fat from the intestine to the rest of the body ... excessive insulin appears to alter the mechanics of blood vessel walls, allowing chylomicrons and cholesterol to build up in them, which, over time, creates blockages in the blood stream, leading to heart problems"
• The effects of telmisartan and amlodipine on metabolic parameters and blood pressure in type 2 diabetic, hypertensive patients - J Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone Syst. 2006 Dec;7(4):243-6 - "Group A: rosiglitazone (RSG) 4 mg + Telm 80 mg; Group B: RSG 4 mg + Aml 10 mg ... Lower values of glucose, HbA1C, HOMA index and higher adiponectin levels were observed in Group A compared to Group B ... insulin sensitivity may confer make Telm particularly suitable in the treatment of the metabolic syndrome"
• Even 'High Normal' Glucose May Increase Risk of Hospitalization for Heart Failure - Doctor's Guide, 3/7/07 - "even small increases in fasting glucose raised the risk of congestive heart failure in both diabetes patients and those whose blood sugar fell within the normal range"
• High Blood Sugar Linked to Cancer Risk - WebMD, 2/27/07 - "women with the highest blood sugar levels upon joining the study were more likely to be diagnosed with cancer before its end, compared with women with the lowest blood sugar levels"
• Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and Its Association with Erectile Dysfunction Among Urologic Patients: Metabolic Backgrounds of Erectile Dysfunction - Urology. 2007 Jan 30 - "waist circumference (WC) and triglyceride (TG) ... MS was strongly associated with ED. Fasting blood glucose levels, hypertension, and WC are the most significant risk factors predicting the risk of ED. A more pronounced increase in ED risk in the presence of abdominal obesity, together with altered TG and HDL cholesterol levels, may indicate a special metabolic background of ED regarding lipid metabolism"
• Association between hormones and metabolic syndrome in older italian men - J Am Geriatr Soc. 2006 Dec;54(12):1832-8 - "Total testosterone and SHBG are negatively and leptin is positively associated with MS in older men"
• Calories Seen Outweighing Sugar as Diabetes Risk - Vital Choices Newsletter, 1/1/07 - "they found no link between consumption of sweetened beverages and the risk of developing diabetes ... men who drank four or more cups of coffee a day cut their risk of developing type-2 diabetes by more than 23 percent ... while a high sugar intake may not by itself cause diabetes, it can certainly be a major contributing factor to weight gain and obesity: factors that clearly do promote diabetes" - [Abstract / Abstract]
• Effect of eucaloric high- and low-sucrose diets with identical macronutrient profile on insulin resistance and vascular risk: a randomized controlled trial - Diabetes. 2006 Dec;55(12):3566-72 - "In this study, a high-sucrose intake as part of an eucaloric, weight-maintaining diet had no detrimental effect on insulin sensitivity, glycemic profiles, or measures of vascular compliance in healthy nondiabetic subjects"
• Coffee and sweetened beverage consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: the atherosclerosis risk in communities study - Am J Epidemiol. 2006 Dec 1;164(11):1075-84 - "They found an inverse association, after adjusting for potential confounders, between increased coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in men (for > or =4 cups (> or =0.95 liter)/day compared with almost never: hazard ratio = 0.77, p(trend) = 0.02) with no significant association in women (hazard ratio = 0.89 ... Sweetened beverage consumption (men: hazard ratio = 1.03, p(trend) = 0.94; women: hazard ratio = 1.01, p(trend) = 0.58) showed no consistent association with the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus"
• The association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and insulin resistance in 20 obese children and adolescents - Acta Paediatr. 2007 Jan;96(1):109-12 - "The high prevalence of insulin resistance we found in children with NAFLD confirms the suggestion that there may be an association between insulin resistance and NAFLD in obese children"
• Metabolic syndrome and erectile dysfunction : Epidemiologic associations and pathogenetic links - Urologe A. 2006 Dec 12 - "There is abundant evidence for the association between erectile dysfunction (ED) and the traditional atherosclerotic risk factors, such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, glucose intolerance, and obesity, that make up the metabolic syndrome. Recent findings have demonstrated a linear relationship between the number of these risk factors and the prevalence of ED"
• Hyperinsulinemia and cognitive decline in a middle-aged cohort - Diabetes Care. 2006 Dec;29(12):2688-93 - "word recall (DWR), digit symbol subtest (DSS), and first letter word fluency (WF) ... hyperinsulinemia based on fasting insulin and HOMA at baseline was associated with significantly lower baseline DWR, DSS, and WF scores and a greater decline over 6 years in DWR and WF ... Insulin resistance is a potentially modifiable midlife risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia"
• Metabolic syndrome treatment strategies - Pharmacotherapy. 2006 Dec;26(12 Pt 2):222S-6S - "Lifestyle modification can be summarized as dietary changes, exercise, and smoking cessation. Drug therapy indicated for cardiometabolic risk reduction includes antihypertensives, insulin sensitizers, and cholesterol-lowering agents. In addition, two drugs-sibutramine and rimonabant-have been evaluated and produced promising outcomes in the overall management of high-risk patients with metabolic syndrome"
• Cortisol-cause and cure for metabolic syndrome? - Diabet Med. 2006 Dec;23(12):1281-8 - "reducing cortisol action may provide a novel therapeutic approach in the metabolic syndrome. There is substantial evidence that circulating cortisol concentrations are higher in people with hypertension and glucose intolerance ... Promising preclinical data suggest that novel 11beta-HSD1 inhibitors will have a role in lowering intracellular cortisol levels as a treatment for the metabolic syndrome"
• High Blood Sugar a Global Killer - WebMD, 11/9/06 - "Our results show that one in five deaths from heart disease and one in eight from stroke worldwide are attributable to higher-than-optimum blood [sugar] ... As an annual cause of death, it's right up there with smoking"
• Resisting Insulin - USC Health Magazine, Fall '06 - "Insulin, according to a slew of new studies, may play a role in everything from cancer to hypertension to cardiovascular disease"
• Effect of rosiglitazone on the frequency of diabetes in patients with impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose: a randomised controlled trial - Lancet. 2006 Sep 23;368(9541):1096-105 - "306 (11.6%) individuals given rosiglitazone and 686 (26.0%) given placebo developed the composite primary outcome (hazard ratio 0.40, 95% CI 0.35-0.46; p<0.0001); 1330 (50.5%) individuals in the rosiglitazone group and 798 (30.3%) in the placebo group became normoglycaemic ... Rosiglitazone at 8 mg daily for 3 years substantially reduces incident type 2 diabetes and increases the likelihood of regression to normoglycaemia in adults with impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance, or both" - See rosiglitazone at SuperSaverMeds.com or XlPharmacy.
• Impaired glucose tolerance: A possible contributor to left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction - Int J Cardiol. 2006 Aug 23 - "These results suggest that impaired glucose tolerance is a possible contributor to left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction"
• Admission Blood Glucose Level and Mortality Among Hospitalized Nondiabetic Patients With Heart Failure - Arch Intern Med, 8/14/06 - "In-hospital mortality was twice as high in patients with admission blood glucose levels in the third tertile (7.2%) compared with the first (3%) and second (4%) tertiles ... each 18-mg/dL (1-mmol/L) increase in glucose level was associated with a 31% increased risk of in-hospital mortality"
• Borderline Diabetes Linked to Development of Alzheimer's Disease - Doctor's Guide, 7/21/06 - "Patients who have borderline diabetes have a 77% increased risk of later developing Alzheimer's disease ... People who have severe high blood pressure in addition to borderline diabetes have a 6.27-fold risk of developing Alzheimer's disease ... Borderline diabetes was defined as a random plasma glucose level between 7.8 and 11.0 mmol/L"
• Better Blood Sugar = Less Alzheimer's - WebMD, 7/17/06 - "there were almost 20% fewer new cases of Alzheimer's among people taking thiazolidinediones compared with people who took insulin. Similar results were found in a separate comparison between thiazolidinediones users and people starting Glucophage, another drug used to treat diabetes"
• Prediabetes May Raise Risk for Alzheimer's - Intelihealth, 7/17/06 - "people who had prediabetes at the beginning of the study had a 70% increased risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's ... doctors tend to ignore the slightly high sugar levels until the levels reach the stage of full-blown diabetes"
• Effect of Atorvastatin (10 mg/day) on Glucose Metabolism in Patients With the Metabolic Syndrome - Am J Cardiol. 2006 Jul 1;98(1):66-9 - "in insulin-resistant, nondiabetic subjects, 6 weeks of atorvastatin (10 mg/day) resulted in significant improvement in insulin sensitivity"
• Impaired Fasting Glucose Screening Could Prevent Cardiovascular Disease: Presented at ADA - Doctor's Guide, 6/14/06 - "people with impaired fasting glucose have higher rates of cardiovascular disease risk factors than people with normal fasting glucose ... They defined impaired fasting glucose (IFG) as fasting blood sugar between 100 and 125 mg/dL"
• Impaired {beta}-cell Function in Human Aging: Response to Nicotinic Acid-Induced Insulin Resistance - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006 Jun 6 - "Human aging is associated with impaired beta-cell sensitivity to glucose and impaired beta-cell compensation to insulin resistance"
• Growth hormone, insulin may be key to longevity - WorldHealth.net, 5/24/06 - "it is reasonable to suggest that treatment(s) causing an improvement in insulin sensitivity combined with modest reduction in insulin release would reduce risk of age-related disease and likely also delay aging"
• Metabolic Syndrome Hurts Heart - WebMD, 5/22/06 - "men who had metabolic syndrome at the start of the study were 66% more likely to have heart failure by the end of the study"
• Metformin and Lifestyle Intervention May Help Prevent Metabolic Syndrome - Medscape, 4/18/06 - "Participants were randomly assigned to standard treatment with placebo pill; metformin, 850 mg, twice daily; or intensive lifestyle management with placebo pill and followed up for a mean of 3.2 years ... Intensive lifestyle consisted of reduction of at least 7% of body weight, low-calorie and low-fat diet, and moderate physical activity at least 150 minutes weekly ... In those with prevalent MS at baseline ... At 3 years 18% of the placebo, 23% of the metformin, and 38% of the lifestyle intervention group no longer had the MS, with lifestyle intervention only showing a significant effect vs placebo"
• Metabolic Syndrome Skyrocketing - WebMD, 3/14/06 - "The surge is driven mainly by the epidemic of obesity in the Western world"
• Effects of aging on insulin resistance and fat accumulation - Nippon Rinsho. 2006 Jan;64(1):45-9 - "Alternation of fat distribution by aging may be related to age-related insulin resistance"
• Insulin Levels and Resistance Linked to Risk of Pancreatic Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 12/16/05
• Pancreatic Cancer Tied to Insulin Woes - WebMD, 12/13/05 - "Some of the men's blood samples showed higher levels of blood glucose, insulin resistance, and high insulin levels. Those men were more likely to later develop pancreatic cancer than those without insulin problems"
• Diabetics Face Increased Risk of Colorectal Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 11/2/05 - "hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia promote the growth of colorectal cancer"
• Oral Estradiol Therapy May Worsen Insulin Resistance in Obese Menopausal Women with Metabolic Syndrome - Doctor's Guide, 10/21/05 - "After 12 weeks, there was significant worsening of insulin resistance in women taking oral estradiol ... The researchers observed no significant changes in markers of insulin resistance in women receiving transdermal estradiol, except for a decrease in glucose to insulin ratio from 7.13 to 5.77"
• New Statement Reaffirms Insulin Resistance Syndrome Definition - Doctor's Guide, 10/14/05 - "People with resistance to the actions of insulin have an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as polycystic ovary syndrome, fatty liver, and certain cancers"
• Hypertension and Insulin Resistance in the Metabolic Syndrome - Medscape, 10/10/05 - "As observed in animal studies, insulin-sensitizing medications may play a potential role in the reduction of blood pressure. Metformin treatment of spontaneously hypertensive rats decreased blood pressure by 34 mmHg but had no effect on the blood pressure of normotensive rats.[9] Pioglitazone prevents hypertension in the Dahl salt-sensitive rats,[10] and rosiglitazone prevents development of hypertension in insulin-resistant rats"
• Normal Fasting Plasma Glucose Levels and Type 2 Diabetes in Young Men - N Engl J Med. 2005 Oct 6;353(14):1454-62 - "A multivariate model, adjusted for age, family history of diabetes, body-mass index, physical-activity level, smoking status, and serum triglyceride levels, revealed a progressively increased risk of type 2 diabetes in men with fasting plasma glucose levels of 87 mg per deciliter (4.83 mmol per liter) or more, as compared with those whose levels were in the bottom quintile (less than 81 mg per deciliter"
• High Blood Sugar Levels a Risk Factor for Heart Disease - Doctor's Guide, 9/14/05 - "Lowering blood sugar levels could reduce the risk of coronary heart disease in both diabetics and non-diabetics ... Non-diabetic persons with HbA1c levels of 6% or higher had almost a two-fold greater heart disease risk compared to persons with an HbA1c level below 4.6%"
• Metabolic Syndrome: Growing Health Threat - WebMD, 9/12/05
• Glycemic Control and Coronary Heart Disease Risk in Persons With and Without Diabetes: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study - Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:1910-1916 - "In adults with diabetes, the relative risk (RR) of CHD was 2.37 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.50-3.72) for the highest quintile of HbA1c level compared with the lowest after adjustment for CHD risk factors ... Elevated HbA1c level is an independent risk factor for CHD in persons with and without diabetes"
• Androgens, Insulin Resistance and Vascular Disease in Men - Medscape, 9/8/05 - "Studies in healthy men have shown an inverse correlation between testosterone and insulin levels ... physiological testosterone replacement improves insulin sensitivity ... Insulin resistance also plays a role in the development of atherosclerosis and hypertension ... hypotestosteronaemia is associated with insulin resistance in men. Testosterone treatment inhibits the hyperinsulinaemia and thus may delay the onset of diabetes mellitus in men or even improve glycaemic control"
• Are you insulin resistant? - US News, 9/5/05 - "Endocrinologists suggests a diagnosis of resistance if a patient and doctor can put a checkmark next to at least two of these four measures: ... Triglycerides: greater than 150 mg/dL ... HDL cholesterol: less than 40 mg/dL in men or 50 mg/dL in women ... Blood pressure: greater than 130/85 mm Hg ... Blood glucose: 110-125 mg/dL after fasting and 140-200 mg/dL two hours"
• The metabolic syndrome: A vascular perspective - Eur J Intern Med. 2005 Sep;16(5):314-20 - "Patients with MS have a three times greater risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, and a two to four times greater risk of dying from atherosclerotic coronary heart disease than those without MS ... First-line treatment for MS is therapeutic lifestyle intervention, including exercise and weight reduction. Medical intervention strategies using blood pressure-lowering medication, statins, fibrates and metformin seem the most appropriate to date. The effects of thiazolidinediones on cardiovascular endpoints have not been studied to a large extent in the setting of MS"
• Metabolic Syndrome: a Misleading 'Diagnosis' - Doctor's Guide, 8/25/05
• Blood Glucose: A Strong Risk Factor for Mortality - Medscape, 8/19/05 - "BG even in the normal range is a strong independent predictor of mortality in all subjects with CVD" - [Abstract]
• Hypogonadism and metabolic syndrome:: implications for testosterone therapy - J Urol. 2005 Sep;174(3):827-34 - "Hypogonadism is likely a fundamental component of metabolic syndrome. Testosterone therapy may not only treat hypogonadism, but may also have tremendous potential to slow or halt the progression from metabolic syndrome to overt diabetes or cardiovascular disease via beneficial effects on insulin regulation, lipid profile and blood pressure. Furthermore, the use of testosterone to treat metabolic syndrome may also lead to the prevention of urological complications commonly associated with these chronic disease states, such as neurogenic bladder and erectile dysfunction"
• High Insulin Levels Increase Inflammatory Markers And Beta-amyloids, May Contribute To Alzheimer's - Science Daily, 8/12/05
• Obesity Today, Alzheimer's Disease Tomorrow? - WebMD, 8/8/05 - "people with high insulin levels -- long before they get diabetes -- already are on the road to Alzheimer's disease"
• Elevated Insulin Levels Appear to Increase Levels of Inflammatory Markers and Beta-Amyloid, Which May Contribute to Alzheimer's Disease - Doctor's Guide, 8/8/05 - "Moderately elevated levels of insulin increase the levels of inflammatory markers and beta-amyloid in plasma and in cerebrospinal fluid, and these markers may contribute to Alzheimer's disease"
• Statin use in the metabolic syndrome - Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2005 Feb;7(1):17-21 - "Because of the increased CVD risk associated with the metabolic syndrome and extensive clinical trial evidence documenting reduction of CVD risk with statin treatment, all patients with the metabolic syndrome should be evaluated as candidates for statin treatment as part of a multidisciplinary approach to reduce CVD risk"
• Cardiovascular risk factors are really linked in the metabolic syndrome: This phenomenon suggests clustering rather than coincidence - Int J Cardiol. 2005 Jul 12 - "obesity and insulin resistance were suggested to be linked with metabolic syndrome more than hypertension or high triglyceride"
• Normal Weight Doesn’t Reduce Risk of Metabolic Syndrome - Physician's Weekly, 7/25/05
• Nutritional Epigenomics of Metabolic Syndrome - Medscape, 7/22/05
• Insulin Resistance Associated With Increased Risk for Congestive Heart Failure - Doctor's Guide, 7/21/05 - "In this community-based sample of elderly men free of CHF and valvular disease at baseline, insulin resistance predicted CHF incidence independently of diabetes and other established risk factors for CHF"
• Insulin Resistance and Risk of Congestive Heart Failure - JAMA. 2005 Jul 20;294(3):334-41 - "Insulin resistance predicted CHF incidence independently of established risk factors including diabetes"
• Insulin Resistance in Cognitive Impairment: The InCHIANTI Study - Arch Neurol. 2005;62:1067-1072 - "insulin resistance might contribute to cognitive impairment"
• Diabetic Retinopathy Occurs in Pre-Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 6/16/05 - "Diabetic retinopathy has been found in nearly 8 percent of pre-diabetic participants in the Diabetes Prevention Program ... can lead to vision loss"
• Lowering Resistance To Insulin May Delay Or Prevent Onset Of Type 2 Diabetes - Science Daily, 6/12/05 - "Type 2 diabetes may be significantly delayed or prevented through medication that takes the load off of the body's delicate insulin-producing cells ... our initial findings for diabetes prevention with troglitazone apply not only to this class of drugs-thiazolidinediones-but to the general mechanisms of reducing stress on beta cells by treating insulin resistance" - Note:  Actos and Avandia are in the thiazolidinedione class.  Avandia is available at OffshoreRx.com and SuperSaverMeds.com but check with your doctor first.
• Metabolic Syndrome Found in Many Young Kids - WebMD, 6/2/05
• The Metabolic Syndrome: a Cause of Sexual Dysfunction in Women - Medscape, 5/27/05 - "women with the metabolic syndrome reported significantly lower arousal, orgasm, and lubrication scores"
• Extra Weight May Age You Faster - WebMD, 5/25/05 - "inflammation burns out white blood cells faster, and the effort of replacing them wears down the telomeres ... Insulin resistance and obesity are also associated with free radical damage"
• Insulin Resistance Correlates With Rises in C-Reactive Protein - Doctor's Guide, 5/23/05 - "As C-reactive protein rises, so does insulin resistance ... Increased C-reactive protein levels may also predispose to accelerated or premature atherosclerotic disease ... Maybe someday we'll have therapy to lower C-reactive protein levels"
• Valsartan Reduces Chance of Diabetes in High-Risk Hypertensive Patients - Doctor's Guide, 5/19/05 - "patients taking valsartan had a 23% lower risk of developing diabetes during the four or more years of the study. The two drugs had previously been shown to be roughly equivalent in reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke" - See valsartan at OffshoreRX.com.
• Metabolic Effect of Telmisartan [Micardis] and Losartan [Cozaar] in Hypertensive Patients with Metabolic Syndrome - Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2005 May 15;4(1):6 - "Telmisartan, but not losartan, significantly (p < 0.05) reduced free plasma glucose, free plasma insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and HbAic. Following treatment, plasma glucose and insulin were reduced during the oral glucose tolerance test by telmisartan, but not by losartan. Telmisartan also significantly reduced 24-hour mean systolic blood pressure (p < 0.05) and diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.05) compared with losartan"
• Diabetes Medication Pioglitazone HCl May Significantly Improve Predictors of Cardiovascular Risk - Doctor's Guide, 5/10/05 - "the diabetes medication pioglitazone HCl reduced carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT). Patients taking pioglitazone also experienced significant reductions in insulin resistance, C-reactive protein (a marker for inflammation) and blood pressure, all of which contribute to the overall risk for cardiovascular disease" - See pioglitazone at OffshoreRx.com.
• Metformin and Lifestyle Intervention May Help Prevent Metabolic Syndrome - Medscape, 4/18/05 - "metformin therapy (850 mg twice daily) ... Compared with placebo, the lifestyle group had 41% lower incidence of the MS (P < .001), and the metformin group had 17% lower incidence" - See Metformin at IAS.
• Hidden Fat Could Mean Heart Disease Risk - WebMD, 4/11/05 - "Even people of normal weight can have fat folded deep inside their belly, raising their risk of heart disease and diabetes from a condition called metabolic syndrome"
• Growth Hormone Treatment Improves Symptoms Of Metabolic Disorder In Postmenopausal Women - Science Daily, 4/10/05 - "the GH treatment in postmenopausal women significantly reduced their intra-abdominal fat, increased thigh muscle area, reduced low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentration, and improved insulin sensitivity"
• High Blood Sugar Raises Cancer Risk - WebMD, 1/11/05 - "the men in the study with the highest fasting blood sugar levels (those greater than 140 mg/dl) were 29% more likely to die of cancer than men with the lowest levels (those less than 90 mg/dl). The difference among women with the highest and lowest blood sugar levels was 23%"
• Weight, Fitness and Lifestyle Identified as Important Factors Contributing to Metabolic Syndrome - Doctor's Guide, 1/10/05 - "Fatness, fitness, and lifestyle are important determinants of the metabolic syndrome in young adults ... these associations were independent of each other and, therefore, represent separate potential targets for the prevention of metabolic syndrome"
• Heavy, Lifetime Alcohol Users May Be Toasting Metabolic Syndrome - Science Daily, 11/18/04 - "drinkers in the highest category of intensity have a 60 percent greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome than those in the lowest category ... The highest quartile category of intensity represented females who consumed an average of four drinks per drinking day and males who consumed an average of six drinks per drinking day"
• The metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and risk of cognitive decline - JAMA. 2004 Nov 10;292(18):2237-42 - "These findings support the hypothesis that the metabolic syndrome contributes to cognitive impairment in elders, but primarily in those with high level of inflammation"
• Metabolic Syndrome Can Reduce Mental Function - WebMD, 11/9/04 - "those with metabolic syndrome were 20% more likely to develop a decline in mental function compared with a group of elderly people without metabolic syndrome"
• Metabolic Syndrome Associated with Cognitive Decline in Elderly Persons - Doctor's Guide, 11/9/04 - "persons with the metabolic syndrome (n = 1016) were 20 percent more likely to develop cognitive impairment ... Those with both metabolic syndrome and high inflammation (n = 348) were 66 percent more likely to have cognitive impairment than those without the metabolic syndrome"
• Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor or Angiotensin Receptor Blockers Before Surgery Prevents Post Operative Complications in Patients With Metabolic Syndrome - Doctor's Guide, 10/26/04
• Deep Belly Fat Predicts Risk of Serious Metabolic Syndrome - WebMD, 10/14/04 - "fat inside the body -- that which can't be seen or "pinched" -- is the strongest among a set of signs that predict metabolic syndrome, a set of signs known to increase heart disease risk"
• Insulin Resistance in Teens Raises High Blood Pressure Risk as Adults - Doctor's Guide, 11/11/04 - "If insulin resistance in childhood is related to risk factors in adulthood, we ought to be thinking about this problem at an early age. By the time people are in their 20s and 30s, a lot of the risk is already set, and we are treating the disease instead of preventing it ... What we're showing is that insulin resistance has an effect on systolic blood pressure that is independent of fatness and obesity"
• Can You Be Fat on the Inside? - WebMD, 10/6/04 - "normal-weight women may be headed for obesity-related health problems thanks to an unhealthy lifestyle -- an increasingly common problem known as metabolic syndrome"
• Management of the metabolic syndrome - Minerva Endocrinol. 2004 Jun;29(2):31-45 - "such a polypill should ideally contain numerous molecules that all have shown a potential interest for the management of MetS such as metformin, acarbose, a thiazolidinedione, a statin, a fibrate, an inhibitor of the renin-angiotensin system, aspirin. The growing prevalence and high-risk nature of MetS highlights the need to identify individuals with this condition and to treat them with an aggressive multitargeted approach"
• Death Risk Rises With Blood Sugar - WebMD, 9/20/04 - "As your blood sugar level goes up, so does your risk of death and heart disease - even if you don't have diabetes ... we should be concerned about blood glucose elevations even in people who do not have diabetes"
• Insulin Resistance: Impact on Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Disease - Doctor's Guide, 3/9/04
• Components of Insulin Resistance Syndrome Should be Treated in the Elderly - Doctor's Guide, 3/9/04
• Pathogenesis of Essential Hypertension May Involve Insulin Resistance - Doctor's Guide, 2/20/04 - "insulin resistance may be implicated in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension, possibly involving mechanisms such as endothelial dysfunction"
• Metabolic Syndrome Nearly Doubles Stroke Risk - Doctor's Guide, 2/9/04
• DASH Diet Improves Insulin Sensitivity as Well as Hypertension - Medscape, 2/6/04 - "Based on the results of this study, including the DASH dietary pattern as a basic part of a hypocaloric dietary plan can lead to significant improvements of up to 50% in insulin sensitivity"
• Metabolic syndrome x: an inflammatory condition? - Curr Hypertens Rep. 2004 Feb;6(1):66-73 - "This suggests that metabolic syndrome X is a low-grade, systemic, inflammatory condition. Hence, instituting anti-inflammatory measures might be beneficial in preventing or halting the progress of metabolic syndrome X in high-risk populations"
• Blood Test Identifies Poor Dieters - Physician's Weekly, 1/26/04 - "patients with higher levels of leptin and insulin in their blood were less likely to consistently maintain weight loss programs"
• Potential Use of Statins and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors to Treat Cardiac Syndrome X - Doctor's Guide, 1/20/04 - "A significant reduction in the number of chest pain episodes was observed with treatment, from 14 to 4.4 episodes after 6 months of therapy ... Exercise duration was 23.5% greater after atorvastatin plus ramipril treatment"
• Insulin Resistance May Be an Important Factor in Nondipper Essential Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 12/5/03 - "This may suggest that insulin resistance plays an important role in the aetiology of nondipper essential hypertension"
• Redefining Impaired Fasting Glucose - Physician's Weekly, 11/24/03 - "the cut point for IFG should be reduced to 100 mg/dl from the current 110 mg/dl"
• Metabolic Markers May Help Identify Insulin Resistance in Overweight Individuals - Doctor's Guide, 11/24/03 - "the optimal cut-off values for identifying insulin resistance were 1.47 mmol/L for triglycerides, 1.8 in SI units for triglyceride-HDL ratio, and 109 pmol/L for insulin"
• TG and TG-HDL Ratio Help Identify Insulin Resistance in Overweight Patients - Medscape, 11/20/03 - "The most useful metabolic markers for insulin-resistance, defined as being in the top tertile of steady-state plasma glucose concentrations, were plasma triglyceride concentration, ratio of triglyceride to HDL cholesterol concentrations, and insulin concentration"
• 20% More Americans Now Have Prediabetes - WebMD, 10/27/03
• Insulin Sensitivity, Insulin Secretion, and Abdominal Fat - Medscape, 10/23/03 - "Insulin resistance is associated with overall obesity and particularly abdominal obesity ... In normal individuals, as insulin sensitivity declines, the ß-cells of the pancreas compensate by secreting more insulin"
• Insulin Resistance Theory Advanced - Clinical Psychiatry News, 10/03 - "A new theory linking insulin resistance to depression and the development of Alzheimer's disease could allow clinicians to someday identify patients at risk for dementia and, perhaps, prevent it by treating the insulin dysregulation ... Neuroendocrine factors contributing to insulin resistance, like cortisol and serotonin, have also been implicated in the pathophysiology of both depression and Alzheimer's ... Patients with depression should be screened for insulin resistance at the outset and monitored for signs of its development. If signs develop, these patients might benefit from insulin-sensitizing drugs"
• Antipsychotic-Induced Metabolic Syndrome Proves Costly - Clinical Psychiatry News, 9/03
• New Definition For Metabolic Syndrome Predicts Coronary Heart Disease And Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 8/11/03 - "C-reactive protein (CRP) level was significantly elevated in those with metabolic syndrome ... minor modifications of the current definition as achieved by adding CRP or lowering the glucose cut-off may enhance prediction of CHD and diabetes"
• Glycaemic Control Important in Controlling Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes Risk - Doctor's Guide, 8/14/03 - "insulin resistance in the pre-diabetic state is associated with the presence of additional cardiovascular risk factors and increased incidence of CVD ... chronic sub-clinical inflammation as measured by C-reactive protein (CRP) and other markers is associated with insulin resistance, increased risk of type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular events ... insulin-sensitising agents such as glitazones may be useful in decreasing sub-clinical inflammation, and statin therapy may lower both cholesterol and CRP"
• Pre-Diabetics Have Higher Risk of Colon Cancer - Physician's Weekly, 8/11/03
• Insulin Resistance May Be a Common Cause of Treatment-Resistant Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 8/7/03 - "They suggest that hyperinsulinaemia may increase blood pressure by several mechanisms, including stimulating the sympathetic nervous system, increasing renal sodium re-absorption, activating the Na+/H+ countertransport, and enhancing vessel wall cell proliferation and reactivity"
• Common Metabolic Syndrome Problems Considered High Risk for Diabetes, Heart Disease - WebMD, 7/14/03
• Epilepsy Drug Topamax Targets Diabetes - WebMD, 6/16/03 - "In a small study, the antiepileptic drug Topamax lowered levels of total cholesterol, blood glucose, and diastolic blood pressure, all components of the "prediabetic syndrome,""
• Schizophrenia Drugs Linked to Diabetes - WebMD, 6/3/03 - "close to 25% of them developed high blood sugar levels while taking Clozaril, the first of these newer schizophrenia medications -- called "atypical antipsychotics." ... people with schizophrenia have a four- to six-fold risk of diabetes compared with the general population ... One possible explanation: Those with schizophrenia typically have higher levels of cortisol, known as the "stress hormone," because the body releases it during times of agitation. And high cortisol levels can cause problems in the way blood sugar is metabolized" - See my cortisol page for possible ways to reduce it.
• C-reactive protein is independently associated with fasting insulin in nondiabetic women - Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2003 Apr 1;23(4):650-5 - "increasing levels of CRP were associated with a stepwise gradient in odds for elevated fasting insulin among both lean and overweight women" - See my inflammation page for ways to reduce it.
• Rosuvastatin Improves Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors - Doctor's Guide, 4/9/03
• Topiramate Shows Promise in Patients with Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome - Doctor's Guide, 4/2/03 - "Diabetic control (hemoglobin A1C levels) improved significantly during topiramate treatment, and the effect was dose-related ... Reductions in hemoglobin A1C did not seem to correlate with topiramate-induced weight loss ... The study also found that most patients lost weight during topiramate treatment. Eighteen to 40% of patients showed clinically significant weight loss, losing at least 5% of their baseline weight"