When metabolic syndrome was revealed in the early 20th century, it was known that high blood pressure, diabetes, being overweight and having abnormal levels of lipids (fats) in the blood were associated with increased risk of heart disease. But, doctors and health experts and professionals slowly begin to realize that when a person had one of these disorders, he or she would also be likely to show signs of the others. A good example is that an overweight person is very likely to have high blood pressure or diabetes. Over the years, the term ?metabolic syndrome? has been used to describe people who simultaneously have several of these abnormalities.

People with metabolic syndrome are prone to develop diabetes and heart disease that are common chronic diseases in our population. These diseases can definitely cause significant health problems to those affected. For instance, diabetes may cause blindness and kidney failure. Once diabetes and heart disease occur, there is probably no cure. Doctors can only use medication to control and minimize its effect.

What is the best way to avoid the complications of these diseases? The answer is very simple: prevent diabetes and heart disease from happening in the first place!

The different definitions of metabolic syndrome among different organizations and countries will certainly confuse many of us. But the overall aim is the same: to identify people at risk of diabetes and heart disease before they develop these diseases.

One simple definition that can be easily applied involved measurement of waist circumference, blood pressure, blood sugar, and level of cholesterol and fats in blood. These tests can easily be done in doctor's clinic. Use the following measurements as guidelines:

1. A waist circumference > 90 cm if you are a man or > 80 cm if you are a woman.

2. A level of triglyceride (fats) in the blood that is > 1.7 mmol/L (150 mg/dL).

3. A level of HDL (good) cholesterol that is < 1.0 mmol/L (40 mg/dL) if you are a man or < 1.3 mmol/L (50 mg/dL) if you are a woman.

4. Blood pressure greater or equal 130/85 mmHg or if your doctor tells you that you have high blood pressure.

5. Blood sugar > 6.0 mmol'l (110 mg/dL).

If you have 3 or more out of these 5 measurements, then you have the metabolic syndrome.