Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a condition comprised of medical problems, primarily insulin resistance, that increase risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Metabolic syndrome may affect 20 to 25 percent of the U.S. population. Generally, you do not have symptoms of metabolic syndrome.

What Is Metabolic Syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions including insulin resistance, high blood pressure, elevated fasting blood glucose level, high triglyceride level and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level. Insulin resistance is common among individuals who are obese. Together, the conditions can negatively affect your heart and contribute to other health problems.

Why Choose The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center?

Some people who have metabolic syndrome and morbid obesity and for whom traditional weight-loss measures have failed may be candidates for weight-loss surgery (bariatric surgery) at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center – designated as a Bariatric Center of Excellence by the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in 2005. Our surgeons have performed weight-loss procedures for almost 30 years, and they currently perform more than 400 weight-loss surgeries a year.

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What Causes Metabolic Syndrome?

The direct cause of metabolic syndrome is not clearly understood. However, obesity coupled with a sedentary lifestyle contributes to developing risk factors for metabolic syndrome – high cholesterol, insulin resistance and high blood pressure.

The risk factors most closely associated with metabolic syndrome are:

• Age: incidence increases with age
• Ethnicity: Blacks and Mexican Americans are more likely to develop metabolic syndrome
• Body mass index (BMI) greater than 25
• Personal or family history of diabetes
• Smoking
• History of heavy drinking of alcohol
• Stress
• Post-menopausal status
• High-fat diet
• Sedentary lifestyle

Cardiologists

• Alex Auseon, DO 
• Ragavendra Baliga, MBBS
• Vincent Brinkman, MD
• Charles Bush, MD
• Michael Davis, MD 
• Jennifer Dickerson, MD
• Evan Dixon, MD
• Theodore Fraker Jr., MD
• Rodney Graber, MD
• Martha Gulati, MD
• Charles Hardebeck, MD
• William Houser, MD
• Albert Kolibash Jr., MD
• Scott Maffett, MD
• Douglas Magorien, MD
• U. Krishnan Marar, MBBS
• Laxmi Mehta, MD
• Stephany Moore, MD 
• David Orsinelli, MD
• Sanjay Rajagopalan, MBBS
• Subha Raman, MD
• Sharon Roble, MD
• James M. Ryan, MD
• Thomas Ryan, MD
• Gbemiga Sofowora, MBChB
• Debbra Debaets, MD
• Barry George, MD
• Arsad Karcic, MD
• Lawrence Murcko, MD

Cardiothoracic Surgeons

• Juan Crestanello, MD
• Michael Firstenberg, MD
• Robert Higgins, MD
• C.B. Sai-Sudhakar, MBBS
• John Sirak, MD