Nearly one-quarter of Americans have a syndrome that dramatically raises their risk of developing other serious health conditions. It’s called metabolic syndrome, and you have it if you meet three or more of the qualifying criteria:
- A waist circumference greater than 40 inches in men, and greater than 35 inches in women
- High triglycerides: 150 mg/dl or higher
- Low HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol): less than 40 mg/dl in men; less than 50 mg/dl in women
- High blood pressure, 130 mm Hg or higher for systolic pressure (the top number), or 85 mm Hg or higher for diastolic pressure (the bottom number)
- High blood sugar: a reading of 100 mg/dl or higher for a fasting blood glucose test
