Do You Have Syndrome X?

According to some estimates, one-third of all 55 year olds have Syndrome X.

By the time you get to 70 years, 50% of you will have it. And if you are younger, say 35-years-old… there's a 10% chance that you have it. The problem is that this syndrome may be deadly. And the name is mysterious because the diagnosis and prognosis are so unreliable. In fact, when you finish this article, you might roll your eyes and wonder why the hype. But, if you recognize that the factors that play a role in this syndrome are interconnected, you will easily understand the solution, and the cure will be critical to your long-term health and well being.

The good news is there are simple things that can be done; the bad news is that it will take some effort on your part. The worse news is that your doctor would prefer to give you pills rather than devote time and resources to curing this disease. Don't misunderstand me, I realize it's not a perfect world, but pills and injections are not the answer.

There are several symptoms consistent with this syndrome, which often appear hours after eating:

 Dr. Gerald Reaven at Stanford coined the term Syndrome X in 1988. He was researching diabetes and trying to understand the role of insulin in obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure. It was clear to him almost 20 years ago that people with this syndrome (which is also known as Metabolic Syndrome, Reaven Syndrome, CHAOS, and Insulin Resistance Syndrome), had trouble processing glucose, which led to problems with insulin. Let me explain…

When we eat, especially carbohydrates, the body's chemicals break down the food into molecules that our cells use for energy – namely blood sugar, aka glucose.

The body notices this extra sugar and produces insulin in the pancreas. This insulin circulates in the blood and triggers a host of other processes. Without going into great detail, trust that the mechanism for glucose and insulin production was designed long before Twinkies…

The insulin binds to receptors on the surface of cells throughout the body. Cells have anywhere from 100 to 100,000 of these receptors, and very few cells have no insulin receptors. The fact that receptors are ubiquitous, and the levels of sugar and insulin vary so much, means that cells can alter their responses to these molecules. Therein lies the problem: The liver and the brain are intimately connected and influenced by glucose and insulin.

In fact, if you don't eat anything, the liver produces glucose for the rest of the body. And depending on the levels of sugar and insulin, the body will either store glucose (called glycogen) and moderate the burning of fat for energy or vice versa. On the other hand, the brain uses blood glucose to function and is dependent on a constant supply no matter what. I know I said I wasn't going into the details, but stay with me a little longer…

Insulin triggers a host of things, among those, a decrease of magnesium and an increase of sodium in the blood. Insulin also increases pro-inflammation molecules (like homocysteine) in the blood. It even causes the production of fat and increases fat storage. This easily leads to increases in blood pressure and chronically can lead to a stroke and heart disease. And it gets worse…

Remember those insulin receptors? If our cells are bombarded with insulin, they decrease the receptors on the cell surface (wouldn't you?). Thus the body has to increase the amount of insulin to get the same effects on the cells. More insulin means more badness. Thus, if insulin levels are high, the body will never use fat… blood sugar is too high and the metabolism will be stuck in storage mode.

Thus the importance of avoiding foods that increase blood sugar, known as "high-glycemic index" foods. And the list of these foods is endless… Suffice it to say that whole grains and raw fruits and vegetables have a lower glycemic index than things like cookies or refined foods such as white bread and flour.

The bottom line is this: The human body needs glucose, fat, and protein. But anything that triggers increases in blood sugar – especially if it happens quickly and constantly – will lead to high insulin levels and thus insulin resistance (triggering Syndrome X).

From your and your doctor's point of view, the following traits are critical to diagnosing this syndrome:

 There are simple tests you and your doctor can do. But if you have three of these symptoms, then you likely have Syndrome X. If you do have it, all is not lost. You can do two simple things to reverse the metabolic and structural problems.

When it comes to Syndrome X here's what I do:

Until next time, be healthy.

David Eifrig Jr., M.D.