Metabolic Syndrome

 

 

Metabolic Syndrome is characterized by the interaction of diet and genetics with converging risk factors ó obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and insulin resistance ó leading to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes; it affects an estimated 47 million Americans. It is also known as "insulin resistance syndrome" and "syndrome X."

 

The cluster of conditions that cause, indicate, result from metabolic syndrome include:

• Central Obesity

• Cholesterol low HDL

• Cholesterol small dense LDL particles

• Dyslipidemia with elevated triglycerides

• Endothelial Dysfunction

• Glucose Intolerance

• Hypertension

• Insulin Resistance

• Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

 

Metabolic Syndrome is a suspected or proven precursor of:

• Asthma

• Cancer

• Cardiovascular Disease

• Gout

• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

• Stroke

• Type 2 Diabetes

 

From the Web site of the American Heart Association:

The metabolic syndrome is characterized by a group of metabolic risk factors in one person.  They include:

• Central obesity (excessive fat tissue in and around the abdomen)
• Atherogenic dyslipidemia (blood fat disorders – mainly high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol that foster plaque buildups in artery walls)
• Raised blood pressure (130/85 mmHg or higher)
• Insulin resistance or glucose intolerance (the body can't properly use insulin or blood sugar)
• Prothrombotic state (e.g., high fibrinogen or plasminogen activator inhibitor [ñ1] in the blood)
• Proinflammatory state (e.g., elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in the blood)

The underlying causes of this syndrome are overweight/obesity, physical inactivity and genetic factors. People with the metabolic syndrome are at increased risk of coronary heart disease, other diseases related to plaque buildups in artery walls (e.g., stroke and peripheral vascular disease) and type 2 diabetes.

 

For more information see "metabolic syndrome" at the American Heart association Web site.

 

Lab Animal Diets for the Study of Metabolic Syndrome

 

The TestDiet^® division produces a multitude of formulas for research in obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and related diseases – and we will produce custom variations to meet your specific research needs.

 

We have developed many variations of diet formulas to induce Metabolic Syndrome conditions in laboratory animals. Through diet, animal models can be developed expressing each Metabolic Syndrome risk factor separately and in combination. Precise manipulation of the source and amounts of protein, fat, carbohydrate, fiber, and other nutrients, in consultation with our lab animal nutrition and diet formulation experts, permits investigators to design custom diet formulas uniquely suited to their research, and to develop animal models with the desired combination and severity of symptoms.

 

In addition, test compounds can also be added to diets to test their effect on these animal models in reversing the syndrome, or in preventing or retarding its onset.

 

See: Diet-Induced Obesity