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Mercy cardiologist Dr. Monica Aggarwal

Mercy Cardiologist Dr. Monica Aggarwal Discusses Link Between Metabolic Syndrome And Heart Disease

It's no secret that obesity and high blood pressure are major health concerns, but a new study reveals that those conditions – in combination with others – doubles your risk for heart disease – metabolic syndrome.

Frances Marion Newman, 70, said she knew something was wrong when just a simple walk made her out of breath, so she went to her doctor.

"(The doctor) said I know what's wrong with you," Newman said. "She said, 'It's your heart.' I said, 'That's the last thing I wanted it to be was my heart.'"

Mercy cardiologist Dr. Monica Aggarwal said Newman is a perfect example of someone with metabolic syndrome. It's a combination of five factors that a recent study said doubles a person's chances for heart problems.

"If you have the risk factors that are encompassed in the metabolic syndrome, your risk for heart disease or a heart event is two times the average," Dr. Aggarwal said.

The risk factors include:

• Waist size — For men, it's over 40 inches. For women, over 35 inches.
• High triglycerides — anything greater than 150.
• Good cholesterol or low HDL — less than 40 in men and less than 50 in women.
• High blood pressure — a systolic or top number of 130 or higher.
• Diabetes — a fasting glucose reading greater than 10.

If you have three of the risk factors, you have metabolic syndrome. But it can be treated.

"The treatment is to treat your risk factors, to lose weight, to exercise, get your blood pressure under control, get rid of your diabetes," Dr. Aggarwal said.

Newman is on a regime of medication and is keeping up with her checkups.

"I feel good. I feel really good. Cause if I didn't feel good, that phone in there would be ringing, yes it would. I'd call her right on up," she said of her doctor.

Dr. Aggarwal noted that it's important not to underestimate the value of a healthy diet to prevent the development of risk factors that can lead to metabolic syndrome. To view Dr. Aggarwal's interview with WBAL-TV11, click this link: http://www.wbaltv.com/womansdoctor/26289892/detail.html