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Thursday, April 28, 2005

Community invited to learn about metabolic syndrome

Contributed by Amy Stevens Amy_D_Stevens@Wellmont.org

BRISTOL – So you’re carrying a few extra pounds around your waistline. And maybe your cholesterol and blood pressure are a little high. But it’s not like you have a serious health problem – right?

Wrong. You may be among the millions of Americans suffering from metabolic syndrome – a potentially dangerous condition that can set the stage for more serious health problems, including heart disease, diabetes and stroke, later in life.

To help area residents learn more about metabolic syndrome, the cardiology services department at Bristol Regional Medical Center will hold a free metabolic syndrome symposium Thursday, May 5, from 8 a.m.-noon. The informative discussion will take place in the hospital’s Monarch Auditorium.

Drs. Sarfraz Zaidi, Mark Borsch and Matthew Beasey, along with nurse practitioner Mary Jo Hanor and clinical dietitian Lisa Davis, will lead the discussion.

“A person with metabolic syndrome may feel fine now,” said Karen Pennington, Bristol Regional’s director of cardiology services. “But that individual is at an increased risk for significant health problems in the future.”

Because abnormal cholesterol levels are a sign of metabolic syndrome, a cholesterol screening will be offered prior to the symposium from 7-8:30 a.m. Area residents who wish to have their cholesterol checked should not eat after midnight but can take prescribed medications with water. There is a $10 lab fee for the screening.

Metabolic syndrome affects an estimated 47 million adults in the United States. Some people are genetically predisposed to insulin resistance, which is associated with the condition. Along with insulin resistance, other factors like excess body fat and physical inactivity can lead to metabolic syndrome in people who are predisposed to the disorder.

Cholesterol screenings and seminar seating are limited. For more information or to register, please call 423-844-3951 or 1-800-844-3951.

Amy Stevens
System Director of Communications and Public Relations
Wellmont Health System
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