Page 1 - Saint Agnes Medical Center | healthlink | Winter 2013

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WINTER 2013 On a Mission to Heal Body, Mind and Spirit
Continued on page 6
For months, Diane Webb had brushed off her daily
aches and pains as early signs of arthritis. Though admit-
tedly struggling with her weight and type 2 diabetes,
she had never had a medical scare. But when walking
to her next-door neighbor’s house became a chore
and chest pains surfaced, Diane began questioning her
self-diagnosis.
Within a few months, her nagging suspicions prompt-
ed a visit to her primary care physician. “I walked in and
started to cry,” Diane says. “I knew I didn’t feel good.
Something was wrong.”
An angiogram just days later confirmed her concerns:
a 95 percent blockage in one of her arteries. To restore
blood flow, Diane’s cardiologist inserted three stents.
But a closer look at Diane’s medical history showed
signs of something beyond heart disease – some-
thing medical experts call metabolic syndrome. This
common and serious health condition involves a
cluster of factors – such as high blood pressure
and abnormal cholesterol – that individually can
raise the risk of cardiovascular and other problems.
When those conditions occur together, the combina-
tion pushes health risks even higher.
For instance, people with metabolic syndrome have
a twofold increased risk for heart attack and a fivefold
increased risk for diabetes compared with those
who don’t have it, according to the American Heart
Association (AHA).
Some of the greatest dangers of metabolic syndrome
are linked to atherosclerosis, which involves a buildup
of fat in artery walls. When arteries feeding blood to the
heart become narrowed or blocked, blood flow can be
Metabolic syndrome
A hidden
health problem
4 Larry White made a miraculous recovery
after a stroke – but not everyone is so lucky.
Know the signs of stroke and get help fast.
7 Decided to take up running or walking
this year? Check out this Q&A for tips on
choosing the right shoes for you.
People with
metabolic syndrome
are at significant
risk for having a
heart attack and
developing
diabetes.