Metabolic Syndrome: Prevention

To prevent metabolic syndrome, attention must be paid to reducing individual risk factors.

Behavioral risk factors

  • Diet
    • Chronic overeating
      • High caloric intake ↑↑ [due toobesity, hypertension (high blood pressure), type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia (LDL elevation)]
      • High proportion of saturated fatty acids (↑) [due toobesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2, hypercholesterolemia (LDL elevation)]
      • High proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids (↑) [due toobesity]
      • High proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids ? [due toobesity ?]
      • High sugar consumption, esp. mono- and disaccharides (simple and multiple sugars) [due toobesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2].
      • High consumption of table salt ? [due toobesity?, hypertension]
      • High alcohol intake (↑) [due toobesity?]
    • Too low a proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids [diabetes mellitus type 2, hypercholesterolemia (LDL elevation)].
    • Too low a proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids [diabetes mellitus type 2, hypercholesterolemia (LDL elevation)]
    • Low proportion of complex carbohydrates [due toobesity, diabetes mellitus type 2]
    • Low fiber diet [due toobesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2, hypercholesterolemia (LDL elevation)]
    • High intake of sodium and table salt [due tohypertension]
    • Micronutrient deficiency (vital substances) – see prevention with micronutrients.
  • Pleasure food consumption
    • Alcohol (woman: > 20 g/day; man: > 30 g/day).
    • Tobacco (smoking)
  • Physical activity
    • Physical inactivity
  • Psycho-social situation
    • Psychological conflicts
    • Stress
  • Overweight (BMI ≥ 25; obesity).
  • Android body fat distribution, that is, abdominal/visceral, truncal, central body fat (apple type) – there is a high waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio (THQ; waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)). When measuring waist circumference according to the International Diabetes Federation guideline (IDF, 2005), the following standard values apply:
    • Men < 94 cm
    • Women < 80 cm

    The German Obesity Society published somewhat more moderate figures for waist circumference in 2006: < 102 cm for men and < 88 cm for women.

Prevention factors (protective factors)

  • Genetic factors:
    • Genetic risk reduction depending on gene polymorphisms:
      • Genes/SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphism):
        • Gene: MC4R
        • SNP: rs2229616 in gene MC4R
          • Allele constellation: AG (0.46-fold decreased risk for developing metabolic syndrome)
          • Allele constellation: AA (0.46-fold decreased risk for developing a metabolic syndrome)