The Silver Ink

Monday, April 12, 2021
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Prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increasing in United States

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obeseAccording to a new study it is found that almost 35 percent of all U.S. adults and 50 percent of the elderly suffer from the metabolic syndrome.

What is metabolic syndrome? It is a combination of conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. This condition can be fatal.

The metabolism trends are increasing in U.S., and the recent study would help policy makers to understand its prevalence in US and make policies to fight against it.

Researchers have gathered the data between the years 2003 and 2012 and analyzed the prevalence of metabolic syndrome, and found that it has increased from 32.9 percent to 34.7 percent.  They also found that the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was higher in women than men. It was also commonly found among Hispanics than non-Hispanic whites and blacks.

Researchers have found that prevalence of metabolic syndrome also increased with age, ranging from 18.3 percent in 20 to 39 years old, to 46.7 percent to those over the age of 60.

Over the 60 age group it is found that 20 percent of women and Hispanics had metabolic syndrome.

Researchers have noted that high prevalence of life threatening condition in age groups.

Dr. Robert Wong, an assistant clinical professor at University of California, San Francisco and senior author of the study said, “That’s concerning, because we know the population of the U.S. is aging. I think it will potentially place a huge burden on our health care system.”

Researchers said that the awareness program about metabolic syndrome and the health consequences may help in the treatment of the major risk factors like blood pressure and diabetes.

Researchers said, “Furthermore, recent NHANES data demonstrate that obesity prevalence in the United States also appears to have stabilized, which also may contribute to the stabilizing prevalence of the metabolic syndrome.”

The findings of the study are published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Vitamin D supplements found ineffective in controlling blood pressure

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Vitamin-D-supplement

A new study has found that vitamin D supplements are not efficient in lowering blood pressure as prior believed.

The researchers used a random effects model to study the role of Vitamin D in checking blood pressure problem and found no effective benefits in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

For the study, the researchers collected data of blood pressure from 46 different medical trials involving more than 4,541 participants who took vitamin D supplements for a minimum of four weeks.

The researchers called this trial a logical one observing that higher blood pressure patients have lower vitamin D levels. However, the results failed and so have several clinical trials failed with Vitamin D before.

According to them, there exists an association between low vitamin D levels and heart diseases or cancer. However, it is not casual.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) said there is dearth of enough substantial evidence to determine how vitamin D levels could raise the risk or protect against cancer.

According to NIH, presence of too much Vitamin D in the blood can have adverse health effects. Some of the common health problems due to the excess of Vitamin D in blood are constipation, nausea, kidney damage in some cases and many more.

According to the researchers, neither high nor low level of Vitamin D is good for health. Previous studies have suggested that people with low Vitamin D levels could be at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and die prematurely of cancer or other disease.

97 percent of African Americans and 75 percent of Caucasians have low levels of Vitamin D. This has compelled the doctors to reassess the normal level of this Vitamin type.

The researchers urged for more awareness and in-depth research work in understanding the role of vitamin D- its advantages and disadvantages.

The Vitamin D supplements are the second most recommended vitamin across the country after a multi-vitamin.

The findings of the research were published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

Vitamin D has no effect on blood pressure.

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vitamin D pills not effective

With the medical treatment being so expensive many people are turning towards taking better nutrient supplements and this makes it important to know which vitamin and mineral severs for which treatment. Such an example like vitamin A is very effective for sight.

Vitamin D was associated with reduction in blood pressure. But recent studies have denied the interrelation between vitamin D and health outcomes beyond falls, fractures, and possibly respiratory tract infection and also have no effect on either systolic or diastolic blood pressure.

David Agus, MD, a professor of medicine at the University of Southern California comments that “People with higher blood pressure have lower vitamin D, so it was a logical trial to do, but it failed, and this is one of many trials that have failed with this vitamin.”

“Seventy-five percent of Caucasians and 97 percent of African Americans are low in D, so I think and the community thinks we now have to reassess what is normal,” Agus explains.

This study is important because more and more people are taking vitamin D to reduce blood pressure and it has become the most taken vitamin in the country after multivitamins.

This is a good study as it points out to the accuracy of information which doctors are telling to their patients and what the public believes about the benefits of nutrients. He further added that if the doctor tells the person to be on vitamin D, he would want you to say, where is the data that it will benefit me? And ask for the proof of effectiveness.

Vitamins and minerals supplements can provide health benefits, but it is significant to know how each vitamin works for best results.

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