Many people refer to metabolic syndrome as metabolic disease. The former is actually the correct way to refer to the condition, but either one could be used. But is diabetes a metabolic disease? Technically it is not when asked in that way. The question could be better asked as “is diabetes a metabolic disease risk factor?” And to that we can say yes.

Metabolic disease, or metabolic syndrome actually refers to a group of risk factors that, when combined, will increase the chance of developing diabetes. It also will increase the odds of developing heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. With the prevalence of metabolic disease increasing with age, about one out of every 5 Americans is affected by it. The word “metabolic” is a medical term that describes the biochemical processes involved in the normal way the body turns food into energy. There are a couple of ways that different health organizations define metabolic disease, but they are similar enough for the average person not to worry about. One of the risk factors for metabolic syndrome is diabetes. A metabolic disease is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as follows.

You must have one of these conditions:

  • Diabetes mellitus,
  • An impaired glucose tolerance
  • Impaired fasting glucose
  • Have an insulin resistance

 

In addition, two of the following must be present:

  • Blood pressure greater than or equal to 140/90 mmHg
  • Dyslipidemia – defined as triglycerides (TG) ≥ 1.695 mmol/L and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ≤ 0.9 mmol/L (if you’re a man), or ≤ 1.0 mmol/L (if you’re a woman)
  • Central obesity – which is defined as a waist: hip ratio greater than 0.90 (male); or greater than 0.85 (female), or body mass index (BMI) > 30 kg/m2
  • Microalbuminuria – urinary albumin excretion ratio greater than or equal to 20 µg/min or an albumin:creatinine ratio greater than or equal to 30 mg/g

 

Is Diabetes a Metabolic Disease Risk Factor?

 

The root cause of metabolic disease is insulin resistance. So because diabetes type 2 is sometimes a result of insulin resistance, it could accurately be said that it is in fact a risk factor in and of itself. But insulin resistance is not the same as diabetes. Metabolic disease can be caused by insulin resistance. When the body produces enough insulin but the cells of the body are too desensitized to allow insulin absorption at the cellular level, you are said to be insulin resistant. Insulin resistance doesn’t have to lead to diabetes, however. A proper diet with the right nutrients, combined with vitamin supplements that are disease specific, exercise, and good lifestyle choices, diabetes is not inevitable.

So, is diabetes a metabolic disease? No it isn’t. And good lifestyle choices can help you avoid getting metabolic syndrome. Avoid getting overweight, eat nutritionally, and be active!