metabolic syndrome/Melissa
Melissa this was a post from another group I belong to.
Is metabolic syndrome a real condition?
Diabetes groups question existence of heart-related disorder
LONDON - The world’s top two diabetes organizations have questioned
the existence of a medical condition widely cited by drug firms.
The American Diabetes Association and European Association for the
Study of Diabetes said in a joint statement on Thursday that
“metabolic syndrome” ? which has come to be seen as a predictor of
cardiovascular disease ? was poorly defined, inconsistently used and
in need of further research.
Doctors should not diagnose people with the “syndrome” or treat it as
a separate condition until the science behind it is clear, according
to a paper to be published in the September issue of Diabetes Care and
Diabetologia.
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“There is no combination of risk factors that boosts a person’s
cardiovascular risk beyond the sum of the parts, or constitutes a
separate disease,” said Dr. Ele Ferrannini, president of the European
diabetes association.
Invented disorder?
“Metabolic syndrome” is often defined as applying to anyone with three
or more of the following conditions ? a large waist circumference,
high triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, low levels of HDL
“good” cholesterol and high blood glucose.
It is typically found in people who are overweight, physically
inactive or have certain genetic factors, according to the American
Heart Association. Often called insulin resistance syndrome, in which
the body can’t use insulin efficiently, it’s become an increasingly
common condition, affecting an estimated 25 percent of U.S. adults,
the AHA reports.
The large and growing section of the population in North America and
Europe reflects the increasing problem of obesity in developed
countries.
Yet studies showing a connection between “metabolic syndrome” and
risks of developing heart disease are inconsistent, the groups say.
Taken individually, all of the above conditions can be considered a
risk factor for heart disease, the two associations said. But they
should each be treated separately, and doctors should not try to
prescribe treatments for the “syndrome” until new, solid evidence is
obtained.
Their experts’ concerns over “metabolic syndrome” follow similar
controversies surrounding other new disorders that the pharmaceutical
industry stands accused of inventing.
Conditions such as “generalized anxiety disorder” and “female sexual
dysfunction” have been cited in the past as examples of so-called
disease-mongering by drug companies eager to carve out new markets for
their products.
The drug makers say they are addressing serious, chronic medical conditions.
In particular, the statement is seen as hampering prospects for
Sanofi-Aventis’s new drug Acomplia, which is positioned as a way to
treat “metabolic syndrome” because it helps with risk factors such as
lipid levels. Acomplia, which Sanofi hopes to launch next year once it
has received regulatory approval, is viewed as a potential
multibillion-dollar-a-year seller for the French company.
Sanofi had no immediate comment on the statement by the two groups.
Reuters contributed to this report