[Blog](https://vittalkamath.com/blog) # Metabolic syndrome 3 June 2026 It is not a disease. It is a group of five risk factors that show up together and dramatically raise your odds of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. ## Diagnosis You have metabolic syndrome if you have at least three of these five: 1. **A large waistline** — abdominal obesity. - Men: 102 cm or more. - Women: 88 cm or more. This fat around the organs is the main driver. It is metabolically active, and it disturbs the hormones. 2. **High blood pressure:** 130/85 mmHg or more, or on blood-pressure medicines. Consistently raised pressure strains the arteries and the heart. 3. **High fasting blood sugar:** 100 mg/dL or more, or on glucose-lowering medicines. An early sign of insulin resistance, even before diabetes develops. 4. **High triglycerides:** 150 mg/dL or more, or on treatment. Triglycerides are a type of blood fat; high levels signal that your body isn’t handling fat well. 5. **Low HDL cholesterol** — the “good” cholesterol. - Men: below 40 mg/dL. - Women: below 50 mg/dL. HDL helps clear the bad cholesterol. Low levels mean less protection. ## Why it happens The root cause is usually **insulin resistance**. Your cells stop responding well to insulin, so your pancreas pumps out more. That extra insulin, high blood sugar and fat storage become a vicious cycle. The biggest contributors: - **Excess weight,** especially around the belly. - **A sedentary lifestyle:** muscle is key for storing blood sugar. - **Diet:** high in refined carbohydrates, sugar and ultra-processed food. - **Genetics and age:** the risk goes up after 40, and family history matters. - **Others:** poor sleep, chronic stress, smoking, and conditions like PCOS. ## What it means Metabolic syndrome means **twice the risk** of heart disease and stroke, and **five times the risk** of type 2 diabetes. It is also linked to fatty liver disease, kidney disease and some cancers. The frightening part: you can have it for years with no symptoms at all. ## Turning it around The good news: it is largely reversible through lifestyle. Medicines help, but habits do the heavy lifting. 1. **Move more, sit less.** - 150 minutes a day of walking, cycling or swimming. - Add strength training twice a week. Muscle mass improves insulin sensitivity fast. - Even 10-minute walks after meals blunt the spikes in blood sugar. 2. **Rethink your plate.** - **Prioritise** fibre, protein and healthy fats. Think Mediterranean style: vegetables, fish, olive oil, nuts, legumes, whole fruit. - **Limit** sugary drinks, refined grains and ultra-processed snacks. They spike insulin and triglycerides. - **Aim to lose weight:** losing just 5–10% of your body weight can reverse most of the markers. 3. **Sleep and stress.** - 7–9 hours of sleep. Poor sleep worsens insulin resistance overnight. - Chronic stress raises cortisol, which increases belly fat and blood sugar. Walking, breathing exercises or hobbies help. 4. **Quit smoking and limit alcohol.** Both directly worsen blood pressure, triglycerides and insulin resistance. 5. **Medicines when needed.** Your doctor may prescribe medicines for blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar. They manage the numbers while you work on the root causes. ## Conclusion It is a wake-up call — your body saying “the current system isn’t sustainable”. The criteria are all measurable, which means you can track your progress. *Health is priceless. Unfortunately, most of us only realise it when we lose it. Most of the time, it is in our own hands. If you lead a principled life — walking, controlling your diet, practising yoga and meditation — life is going to be very, very comfortable, and it will keep the doctor miles away.* [All articles](https://vittalkamath.com/blog)