Exercise Essential to Reduce Metabolic Syndrome Risk

Metabolic syndrome is a constellation of symptoms– including high cholesterol, high blood pressure and extra weight around the middle part of the body – which , when present together,  increase the risk for coronary disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes.  Paul Loprinzi, from Oregon State University (Oregon, USA), and colleagues studied the correlation between physical activity, depression, and metabolic syndrome. Analyzing data collected on 1146 men and women, the team found that women were getting only about 18 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise daily, compared to men who, on average, were getting 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise daily. As result, the women were at greater odds of developing depression, elevated cholesterol, and Metabolic syndrome.  The study authors conclude that: "Active individuals were … less likely to have metabolic syndrome … [and] less likely to simultaneously have all three morbidities … [with] greater strengths of associations occurred for women compared to men.”