Report: Insulin Syndrome Affects Third of Americans

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Report: Insulin Syndrome Affects Third of Americans

Tue Aug 27, 1:18 PM ET

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - One in three of all Americans has a condition called

insulin resistance syndrome, putting them at high risk of diabetes and heart

disease, a panel of doctors said on Tuesday.

But diet and exercise can take care of the condition in many if not most

cases, and a few simple tests can tell doctors and patients who is at most

risk, the experts said.

Insulin resistance syndrome, also known as metabolic syndrome or syndrome X,

refers to people whose bodies do not manage insulin well. More and more

people are developing the condition as the population eats more and

exercises less.

If not dealt with, it can develop into diabetes as well as heart disease,

nonalcoholic fatty liver and perhaps some cancers such as colon and ovarian

cancer. It affects a growing number of adults and children.

On Tuesday a committee of experts from four top medical organizations -- the

American College of Endocrinology, American Association of Clinical

Endocrinologists ( news - web sites), American Medical Association and the

American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine --

issued official guidance about how to diagnose the condition.

" As the prevalence of insulin resistance syndrome has skyrocketed 61 percent

in the last decade, it is crucial that medical professionals have consistent

and definitive criteria to assess this serious condition, " Dr.

Einhorn of the Scripps Whittier Institute for Diabetes in La Jolla,

California and co-chair of the panel, told a news conference.

" We feel that as many as one in three Americans have this, " Einhorn added in

an interview.

Einhorn said pediatricians are complaining that seven- to ten-year-old

children were developing metabolic syndrome, type-II diabetes -- once only

seen in adults -- and obesity.

" We never saw this before, " Einhorn said. " Pediatricians are having to learn

about adult medications. "

No single test can show who has insulin resistance syndrome but measurements

of weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose tolerance can. One quick

check that people can make at home is waist circumference, the experts said

-- men with 40-inch waists and women with 35-inch waists have a higher risk.

Details are available on the Internet at http://www.aace.com.

Other indications a person may have insulin resistance syndrome are

polycystic ovary syndrome, which Einhorn believes may affect up to one in 10

women and which can be marked by infertility, excess facial hair and

obesity.

In addition there is a skin condition, acanthosis nigricans, linked with the

syndrome.

What can patients do if diagnosed with insulin resistance?

" It doesn't require draconian measures, " Einhorn said. Losing 5 percent to

10 percent of total body weight will help a good deal -- and studies show

that as little as 20 minutes of extra exercise such as brisk walking, 5 days

a week can help most people lose that much weight.

It is not necessary to cut out all sweets, he added. And like many doctors,

Einhorn does not believe claims that carbohydrates are to blame for obesity.

" It is not any one thing that's the culprit, " Einhorn said. " It's not just

the fast food. It's not just the pastries. It's a combination of genetics

and the diseases of modern living -- obesity and sedentary living. "