Does Metabolic Syndrome Exist?

I hope that I'm not bringing up something we have already discussed, but did not see it in any of our former posts. This is from the ADA and the EASD:

"In a move that initially seems surprising, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) released a joint statement questioning the utility of the term "metabolic syndrome," and discouraging doctors from using it."

http://heartdisease.about.com/od/diabetesmetabolicsynd/a/metsynyn.htm

"The two diabetes associationsobject to the use of the term "metabolic syndrome." They say that this is not a discrete disease in itself, but merely a clustering of cardiovascular risk factors, and have asked doctors to stop "labeling millions of people with a presumed disease that does not stand on firm ground." Doctors, they say, should not try to treat this presumed disease as a whole, but should simply address each one of the risk factors encompassed by metabolic syndrome individually. They object to the use of metabolic syndrome as a specific target of therapy in clinical trials, such as those testing rimonabant. How can investigators and drug companies, they ask, target a disease that may not even exist?

The joint statement is very perplexing to the tens of thousands of doctors who have been trying to help their patients cope with metabolic syndrome."

Any thoughts about this?

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Happy Grandmommy to Amanda, Alayna, Wyatt and Ezekiel

Lo and behold, just a few weeks ago there was an article about the ADA questioning the existence of Metabolic Syndrome and discouraging doctors from using this terminology. It was speculated that maybe the diabetes associations were trying to protect their turfs.
"Now, the AHA and the NHLBI have released a new statement on the importance of metabolic syndrome. The new statement adjusts the criteria for diagnosing metabolic syndrome slightly (mainly in light of new guidelines for treating cholesterol.) But its main point is to reemphasize the importance of metabolic syndrome and its treatment."

"People who have at least 3 of the following 5 conditions are said to have metabolic syndrome:
Elevated waist circumference (abdominal obesity).
Elevated triglycerides.
Reduced HDL cholesterol.
Elevated blood pressure.
Elevated fasting glucose."
(I have 4 of those!)

"Let the diabetes associations and cardiology associations fight about what to call it. Whatever you call it, both diabetes specialists and cardiac specialists agree on the essential point - aggressive therapy of all the abnormal risk factors associated with this syndrome ought to be employed. Failing to do so invites an extraordinarily high risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes."

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Happy Grandmommy to Amanda, Alayna, Wyatt and Ezekiel

Post Edited (Kathlyn1950) : 9/26/2005 2:04:34 PM (GMT-6)