Metabolic syndrome (also known as abdominal obesity-metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance syndrome or metabolic syndrome X) is a group of health conditions that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. About 25 percent of U.S....
Type 2 diabetes is disease in which the pancreas does not produce insulin sufficiently and patients exhibit an insulin resistance in the muscle, liver and fat cells. This leads to uncontrolled blood sugar levels in the body.
In healthy people, after eating, food breaks down into blood sugar, or glucose. Insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas, transports the glucose to cells throughout the body. People with diabetes either make no insulin at all or produce varying...
Drinking a lot of fluid may not indicate a medical problem, but if you feel you constantly need to drink fluids, this could indicate a health condition. In relation to blood sugar, excessive thirst may indicate high blood sugar levels. If you...
If you have diabetes, there are three reasons why your blood sugars may be higher first thing in the morning. Conditions known as the dawn phenomenon or dawn effect, the Somogyi effect, or waning insulin may cause your blood sugars to be elevated...
Whether you are diabetic or just trying to keep an eye on your blood sugar for other health reasons, you need to be careful about the foods and drinks you consume to keep your blood sugar level regulated. Diet soda, which is sweetened with...
Diabetes--too much sugar, or glucose, in the blood--is caused by your body's inability to regulate insulin. According to the Mayo Clinic website, having diabetes doubles your risk of having a heart attack or stroke, and can cause nerve damage,...
Insulin resistance is a metabolic disorder characterized by the body's not properly using glucose, or blood sugar. A major feature of type-2 diabetes is insulin resistance. Abdominal obesity, or excess fat tissue in the abdomen, predisposes...
Approximately one in three adults in the United States is obese. Obesity is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher. If the Body Mass Index is 40 or more, the person is considered morbidly obese. Obesity has been identified as a risk...
People often choose diet pop, also known as diet soda, when they want to enjoy a sweet and bubbly drink without the worry of taking in too many calories. Diet pop manufacturers use artificial sweeteners to add the sweetness to this drink....
Soft drinks may have serious effects on your health. Soft drinks and other sugar-filled beverages are the main source of calories in the American diet, according to an article by Mark Bittman in the Feb. 13, 2010, issue of the New York Times. The...
Drinking soda on an everyday basis can have health consequences. While an occasional soda is not a health risk for most people, regular consumption, even one or two sodas daily, can add up to health trouble over the long run, whether it is diet...
A physician may order a test of the sugar level in your blood if there is a concern that you may be diabetic or have a sugar level that is either too high or too low. The test, which is also called a check of blood sugar, fasting blood sugar,...
Fasting is recommended prior to taking blood tests that examine a variety of compounds, mainly cholesterol, triglycerides and blood sugars. You should drink only water for at least eight hours prior to fasting blood tests because of the potential...
Diet soft drinks are simply those that contain no natural sugars, and have no calories. The very fist diet soda was called No-Cal, and it was launched in Brooklyn, New York in 1953. Within months the company showed millions of dollars in profits,...
Classic metabolic syndrome describes a group of risk factors linked to obesity, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which says an individual's chance for having heart disease and other health conditions, such as diabetes and...
Fasting blood sugar refers to the level of glucose in your blood after at least 8 hours without eating. A fasting plasma glucose test, also known as a fasting blood sugar test, is used to determine this number. According to the National Institute...
High-fructose corn syrup, or HFCS, has become increasingly prevalent in beverages and processed foods since the 1970s. Often incorrectly believed to be pure fructose, the sweetener and preservative actually contains fructose and glucose, with...
Cinnamon extract may be a useful tool if you are trying to lose weight---especially if you are obese, have metabolic syndrome or suffer from diabetes or prediabetes. However, you need to check with a doctor before adding cinnamon extract to your...
Triglycerides are a type of fat associated with cholesterol. Any calories eaten, but not immediately used for energy, are stored as triglycerides in your fat cells. Triglycerides can then be used for energy in between meals. Untreated type 2...
Metabolic syndrome, also called Syndrome X, is a combination of factors that increase risk of cardiovascular disease. This syndrome also puts you at risk for diabetes and stroke. The cause is unknown, but contributing factors include genetics,...
Blood glucose provides energy to cells and is normally kept within a fairly narrow range. Any deviation from the normal rage can lead to complications that are temporary or cause long-term health problems. Diabetics, people who have abnormally...
The National Institute on Aging (NIA), the aging research arm of the National Institutes of Health, writes that physical activity is beneficial regardless of age. For seniors, it takes on special significance. The NIA states that exercise keeps...
Nopal cactus, also called the prickly pear, is a plant native to Mexico that has a variety of uses and benefits. For more than 12,000 years, it has been used in Mexican culture for its healing and nutritional properties, according to HealthLine....
The human body breaks down food into glucose and uses it for energy with the help of the hormone insulin, produced by the pancreas. When the insulin process does not function correctly, glucose remains in the body and blood sugar levels become...
Factors that affect blood sugar include diet, exercise, weight loss and medications. Insulin resistance also impacts carbohydrate metabolism. Some natural remedies may have unpredictable effects on blood glucose and supplements have not been...
Numerous factors can cause your high-density lipoprotein, or HDL cholesterol, to be low. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), high levels of HDL, also known as good cholesterol, may protect you against heart attack. Medical experts...
