The answer to the question that is the topic of this title is a resounding yes; and that is, metabolic syndrome is strongly related to gut dysbiosis.
However, metabolic syndrome is a complex issue and we will take two or maybe even three blog articles to completely help everyone understand and unravel the complexity of this issue.
What is Metabolic Syndrome?
What is Metabolic Syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is not a disease per se, but rather a cluster of several risk factors that occur together. When someone has this combination of conditions, their risk of developing serious health problems like heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes dramatically increases.
To be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, you typically need to have at least three out of five of the following conditions:
- 1. Large Waistline (Abdominal Obesity)
- 2. High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
- 3. High Blood Sugar (Elevated Fasting)
- 4. High Triglycerides
- 5. Low HDL “Good” Cholesterol
Why is it a concern?
The key reason why metabolic syndrome is of key concern it doubles your risk of blood vessel and heart disease and increases your risk of type 2 diabetes by five times. It also raises the risk for other conditions like fatty liver disease, certain cancers, and sleep apnea.
Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome: Global and in Singapore
Globally:
Most reports indicate that between 20% and 30% of the adult population worldwide has metabolic syndrome. Some sources, however, may suggest the figure might be closer to 40-46% of the world’s adult population.
What is notable is that the prevalence of metabolic syndrome is on the rise globally due to increasing rates of obesity and sedentary lifestyles.
In Singapore:
Singapore, like many developed and rapidly aging nations, has a significant and rising prevalence of metabolic syndrome.
While exact overall figures vary by study and definition used, research indicates a high burden within our population.
In one study from NUS Medicine found that almost 1 in 2 older adults (aged 65 and above) in Singapore have metabolic syndrome, with a higher prevalence in females over 70 years old (up to 8 in 10 for females above 85).
There are also significant ethnic differences, with studies showing more than 1 in 2 Indians suffering from metabolic syndrome compared to 1 in 3 among Chinese in Singapore.
The rising rates in Singapore highlight the critical need for public health interventions, lifestyle modifications and early detection to manage and prevent this widespread health issue.
Stay Tune for part 2 of this article!
In our next article, we will share more about the syndrome itself and its association with gut dysbiosis.
Dr. Darren Chua (MBBS, MSc, CBCC)
Functional Health & Genomic Consultant
Dr Darren Chua is a Functional Health and Genomics Consultant based in Singapore, dedicated to helping individuals achieve optimal health by integrating functional medicine principles with advanced genetic insights.
APEX Screen
Honest Living has always been into cellular nutrition and encouraging our customers to discover their health issues with our panel of nutritionists and healthcare professionals!
We care about your health! So we want to prevent any underlying health risks!
That’s why we have partnered with Dr. Darren Chua, Functional Health and Genomic consultant to encourage you to take up APEX Screen.
