Cardiometabolic Disease

Why Should I Care About Cardiometabolic Disease?

Cardiometabolic Disease may be an unfamiliar term for you. In a nutshell, it is a new umbrella term used to define the risk relationship between cardiovascular disease (heart attack, atherosclerosis) and diabetes.

The progression of cardiometabolic disease often goes unnoticed for decades … just waiting until frank disease (such as heart attack, sudden cardiac death, stroke, diabetes) can be identified by traditional medicine only to be treated with a bevy of pharmaceuticals.

FoundationMED, by focusing on the root causes, and identifying (via advanced testing) known markers of early cardiometabolic disease, will work with you to interrupt the progression of disease and bring you back to a healthy foundation.

In 1988, Gerald Reaven, MD coined the term “Metabolic Syndrome” and wrote a book in the year 2000 “Syndrome X – Overcoming the Silent Killer That Can Give You A Heart Attack.” Dr. Reaven popularized the notion that a cluster of identifiable physiological changes (with insulin resistance as the primary driver) was behind the growing cardiovascular risk in individuals lacking traditional risk markers.

Since then, much research has been done (and is still being done) investigating the complex relationship between progressive insulin resistance and metabolic dysregulation and cardiovascular disease.

The most widely accepted description of this risk profile has been the term “Metabolic Syndrome“.

By utilizing advanced modern testing along with sound functional medicine principles, FoundationMED works with you to both identify and then reduce the risks associated with Metabolic Syndrome.

Metabolic Syndrome Indicators

Indicators Of Metabolic Syndrome

According to the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute – Metabolic Syndrome is present if you have three or more of the following:

Triglycerides: Equal to or higher than 150 mg/dL

Fasting blood sugar (glucose): Equal or above 100 mg/dL

Low HDL cholesterol:
Men – under 40 mg/dL
Women – under 50 mg/dL

Blood pressure: Equal to or higher than 130/85 mmHg

Large waist circumference (length around the waist):
Men: 40 inches or more
Women: 35 inches or more

More About Cardiometabolic Disease And What You Can Do

We now know that there is a complex inter-relationship between central obesity (adiposity), hyperglycemia(elevated fasting sugar/insulin resistance), dyslipidemia (cholesterol et al), and hypertension.

Mechanisms involved include

  1. Insulin resistance
  2. Inflammatory pathways
  3. Adipokine signaling (fat cells)
  4. Endothelial dysfunction (blood vessel lining)
  5. Advanced glycation end products (AGE – essentially internal caramelization of your proteins and lipids) from dicarbonyls and glucose.
  6. Beta-cell function (pancreas insulin synthesizing cells) and
  7. HPA axis function (hypothalamus/pituitary/adrenal).

By better understanding the relationships driving cardiometabolic disease, we become better equipped to identify the root causes, triggers, and mediators in any individual patient.

Using advanced testing for emerging markers within the matrix of cardiometabolic pathophysiology, we can find and positively respond to pre-disease states that are known to be harbingers of trouble yet to come.

In short, we can identify the degree to which you are already heading towards cardiometabolic disease, and we can work to reverse it and enhance your basic health.

By careful selection of therapies that target the disease process (and not just targeting the biomarkers – i.e. Functional Medicine principles), we can provide a greater risk reduction for our patients.

It is by working in partnership with our patients that we achieve success with better outcomes and enhanced foundational wellness for our patients.