PREVENTING ‘SYNDROME X’

In recent years, a sinister-sounding condition called "Syndrome X" has circulated in the scientific and medical field. It has been linked to the progression of several potentially deadly diseases.

Syndrome X is a term for a cluster of conditions that tend to appear together in some individuals. Hypertension, high triglyceride, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and coronary artery disease make up the cluster of conditions that define Syndrome X.

A manifestation of three or more of these conditions makes a person a likely candidate for the syndrome. A person with Syndrome X has increased risk for diabetes and heart disease.

Most of the symptoms of the syndrome can be treated with medications. However, most physicians recommend regular exercise, proper diet and losing weight as the initial therapeutic strategy for preventing Syndrome X. When these lifestyle changes are no longer effective, a drug is prescribed to help patients manage Syndrome X.

In a research conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, results showed that 22 percent of adults between the ages of 20 and 79, have at least three of the symptoms of Syndrome X. Locally, it is estimated that one out of five adult Filipinos suffers from Syndrome X.

For most patients, Syndrome X is usually caused by improper nutrition, inactivity or inadequate physical activity, and an increase in body weight. It is also often seen in people who are obese than in those who have normal body weight. Obesity occurs when the fat cells in a person’s body increases in size than in number.

For an overweight person, simply losing up to 10 or 15 percent of one’s current body weight can bring blood pressure down and increase the cell’s sensitivity to insulin, said Dr. Pat Kendall, food science and human nutrition specialist at the Colorado State University.

Orlistat is the only fat-blocker treatment that has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for use in the management of obesity in adults and adolescents. There are clinical studies to prove that it can also improve total cholesterol level and blood sugar level, and reduce waist circumference.

There are 30 reputable journals and evidence-based, double-blind randomized controlled trials showing that orlistat is effective in managing Syndrome X.

Orlistat is the only available fat-blocker medication that works locally in the gut to prevent dietary fat absorption by around 30 percent. It is approved in over 140 countries. To date, orlistat has treated over 18.5 million patients worldwide since its launch.

The safety of orlistat is backed by the results of the landmark XENDOS (Xenical in the prevention of Diabetes in Obese Subjects) study, which showed for the first time that a fat blocker medication, like orlistat, can significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

XENDOS is the largest and longest study, which lasted up to four years to show the safety and efficacy of this medication. It showed that treatment with orlistat produced significant improvements in cardiovascular risk factors.

It also confirmed that orlistat has a long-term safety profile that is unmatched among any other drugs.

Consult your doctor to prevent Syndrome X. Orlistat is a prescription drug and should be bought at a doctor’s advice.