Are You Metabolically Healthy

Only 12% of American Adults are Metabolically Healthy?  What??

We are always in the process of trying to do better, to become healthier, to prevent disease.  We are a work in progress!  I stumbled across this research paper published by researchers at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2019 that was eye opening to say the least!!  It could explain the mess we are currently facing.

Being metabolically healthy reduces your risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and stroke, all of which are leading causes of death in the US.  Metabolic health can be determined by using metabolic indicators that are consistent with good health and low risk for developing these diseases.

There was a long term study conducted from 2009-2016 called, “Prevalence of Optimal Metabolic Health in American Adults:  National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey”.  This study set out to determine the metabolic health of Americans.  Participants were selected based on a complex multistage probability sampling design and included 8721 participants.

In 2018, researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill, applied the newer guidelines for metabolic health to this group.

Using these new guidelines, metabolic health was defined as:

• Waist circumference:

  • Men < 40.2 inches

  • Women < 34.6 inches

• Fasting glucose:  < 10 mg/dL

• Hemoglobin A1C:  < 5.7 %

• Blood pressure:  120/80 mmHg

• Triglycerides:  < 150 mg/dL

• High density lipoprotein cholesterol:

  • Men > 40 mg/dL 

  • Women > 50 mg/dL

• Not taking any related medications for the related parameters

The following were used for the analysis of demographics and lifestyle:

• Gender

• Age:  grouped 20-39, 40-59 and 60+

• Education level

• Race/ethnicity

• Physical activity:  none, moderate, some vigorous

• Smoking:  never smoked, former smokers, current smokers

• BMI

Summary: 

Metabolic Health:

• Was higher in women than men

• Was higher in highly educated

• Was higher in adults who never smoked

• Decreased with age

Some interesting findings:

• Less than one-third of normal weight adults were metabolically healthy

• Metabolic health decreased with increasing BMI

• Metabolic health was higher in underweighted adults but the sample size was small (137)

• Less than 50% of Americans had waist, glucose and blood pressure levels in the optimal range

• The lowest metabolic health was found in adults with obesity, less than high school education, physically inactive, and current smokers

• Metabolic health was highest among normal weighted, some collage, vigorous activity regularly, and never smoked

Summary:

Only 12% of American adults were metabolically healthy.  This should be eye opening.  These metabolic indicators are used by doctors to start someone on medication because of the belief that patients will not adhere to lifestyle and dietary changes that would improve these metabolic indicators.  But researchers cautioned that this should not be the first line of defense and that more widely accessible strategies to promote healthier lifestyles were urgently warranted.  

Sometimes medications are needed for acute conditions but you should strive to help the body reach normal metabolic numbers naturally.  The body is a remarkable machine that has the power to heal, in most cases, when given the proper lifestyle and dietary changes.  Do you know your metabolic numbers?  Do you have a plan for improving your metabolic health?

Source: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/met.2018.0105