High cholesterol increases your risk for heart disease all by itself, as does obesity and high blood pressure. Put these risk factors together, and your risk for cardiovascular disease skyrockets. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of factors that increases your risk for heart disease. More than one in three adults in the United States had metabolic syndrome in 2006, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You can improve your HDL levels and decrease your risk for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease.
Risk Factors
You have metabolic syndrome if you have three or more of the individual medical conditions that raise your risk for heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. These risk factors include obesity, especially fat around the waist, a fasting blood sugar over 100 mg/dL, high blood pressure and triglycerides over 150 mg/dL. A patient with insulin resistance or glucose intolerance, which means his body cannot process sugars correctly, is also at risk for developing metabolic syndrome. You doctor can measure your HDL level to determine if you have enough of this beneficial lipid to protect your heart.
HDL Levels
People sometimes refer to HDL as 'the good cholesterol' because it reduces the amount of bad cholesterol in your bloodstream. You want a high level of HDL. An HDL of 60 mg/dL or higher is optimal, providing the most protection for your heart. A man whose HDL is below 40 mg/dL is at increased risk for developing metabolic syndrome and heart disease, as is a woman with an HDL below 50 mg/dL.
HDL Treatment
Healthy amounts of HDL reduce your blood cholesterol and subsequently your risk for developing metabolic syndrome and heart disease. You can raise your HDL levels by losing weight, increasing exercise to a half hour five days a week, quitting smoking and making different food choices. Foods high in soluble fiber, like oatmeal and bananas, have a beneficial effect on HDL. Eat fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and mackerel, to further enhance HDL.
Causes
A person may inherit insulin resistance, giving her the first risk factor for metabolic syndrome. She may gain some weight around her waistline. Physical inactivity causes even more weight gain and excess cholesterol and poor HDL levels. A diet high in carbohydrates also raises the risk for developing metabolic syndrome. Lifestyle choices, like smoking and alcohol use, raise blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Treatment
Your doctor may prescribe medications to treat your metabolic syndrome. These medications include those designed to control your body's sensitivity to insulin, lower your cholesterol and your blood pressure. You should also lose weight and then maintain a healthy body weight to further control cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose intolerance. Eat a healthy diet, low in fat, salt, calories and cholesterol but high in fiber. Physical activity has a profound effect on reducing the effects of metabolic syndrome.
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