Metabolic syndrome affects nearly 1 in 10 US teens

Lack of standard definition of risk factors makes measuring problem difficult
About nine percent of teenagers may have metabolic syndrome, a clustering of risk factors that put them on the path toward heart disease and diabetes in adulthood. This shocking statistic represents some of the first concentrated efforts to define and measure metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents a necessary starting point for combating the problem, but one that has proven even trickier in youth than it has been in adults.

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Metabolic syndrome heightens risk for development of uric-acid kidney stones

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that patients suffering from the metabolic syndrome a cluster of conditions that increases the risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes also have a propensity to develop highly acidic urine, which increases the risk of developing kidney stones.

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What is metabolic syndrome?

An association between certain metabolic disorders and cardiovascular disease has been known since the 1940s. In the 1980s this association became more clearly defined and the term metabolic syndrome (also known as syndrome X or the dysmetabolic syndrome) was coined to designate a cluster of metabolic risk factors that come together in a single individual. In more current times, the term metabolic syndrome is found throughout medical literature and in the lay press as well. There are slight differences in the criteria of diagnosis - depending on which authority is quoted. Regardless, the concept of a clustering of risks leading to cardiovascular disease is well accepted.

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How is metabolic syndrome treated?

The major goals are to treat both the underlying cause of the syndrome, and also to treat the cardiovascular risk factors if they persist. As has been discussed, the majority of people with metabolic syndrome are overweight and lead a sedentary lifestyle.

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