Metabolic syndrome

More than a question of aesthetics

A large waist circumference bothers many people, while others stand confidently by their extra pounds. However, when raised blood fat and blood sugar levels, reduced HDL cholesterol and arterial high blood pressure are added, it is about far more than aesthetics: the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes rises.

When an obese waist circumference is accompanied by at least two of these conditions, doctors speak of metabolic syndrome. “Metabolic” comes from the Greek and refers to the disturbed metabolic processes. Because the condition occurs mainly in industrialised countries, it is also called affluence syndrome.

An interplay of health risk factors

Metabolic syndrome is not a specific disease, but an interplay of several risk factors that reinforce one another. A raised blood sugar level can lead to insulin resistance and thus to diabetes. It also disrupts fat metabolism, so that triglycerides in the blood rise. This affects cholesterol levels: HDL cholesterol, called “good cholesterol” because of its favourable effect on fat breakdown, falls – and the blood fat level rises further.

Too much sugar and fat in the blood lead to hardening of the arteries, and arterial high blood pressure develops. Through arteriosclerosis the blood vessels narrow; if the high blood pressure progresses, tissues and organs no longer receive a proper blood supply. This can lead to cardiovascular disease and organ damage. If the heart is no longer supplied with enough oxygen, a heart attack can result, and in the brain a stroke.

A diet-related condition

Metabolic syndrome is a risk factor for health that must be taken seriously. The close interlinking of the individual metabolic disorders also makes treatment with medication more difficult: an antidiabetic drug can improve blood sugar levels, but may under some circumstances raise blood fat levels and thus intensify metabolic syndrome. So far, there is no medication that treats all the components of metabolic syndrome.

One possible way: losing weight with the gastric balloon

One way out of this cycle can be losing weight with the gastric balloon – without medication and without surgery. The balloon is a companion for a limited time, for 6 or 12 months: it is placed endoscopically via the oesophagus or swallowed as a capsule and reduces the capacity of the stomach. As a result, a feeling of fullness can set in sooner with each meal, so that portions become smaller.

On average, patients lose around 15 kilograms with the gastric balloon. With follow-on therapy, weight can fall further.

Weight loss and blood values

Weight loss can be a gain for health. If less sugar and fat are taken in, blood sugar and blood fat levels can improve – and, in parallel, so can cholesterol levels, insulin resistance and, in particular, high blood pressure.