Heartbreak Hotei: Spirituality and metabolic syndrome

Abstract

Colloquially, the medical diagnosis of “metabolic syndrome” and the physical condition of obesity might not be understood as chronic illness or chronic disease. To the lay person, chronic illness often refers to something “out of the patient’s control." In contrast, chronic illness such as Crohn’s disease and celiac disease are not usually thought to be the result of repeated, habitual, poor dietary choices on the part of the patient; this is even less so with chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis or cystic fibrosis. Metabolic syndrome is not necessarily considered a chronic condition, because it can be remediated through lifestyle changes, healthier choices in food intake, and physical activity. Nevertheless, metabolic syndrome is directly related to chronic illness in terms of a specific set of clinical outcomes that are recognized by the Centers for Disease Control as chronic diseases, among them “heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis” (CDC, 2012). These chronic diseases are often listed in the medical diagnostic literature as clinical outcomes of metabolic syndrome, “a condition characterized by multiple risk factors” (AHA, 2004). The Mayo Clinic defines metabolic syndrome as a cluster of conditions-increased blood pressure, a high blood sugar level, excess body fat around the waist or abnormal cholesterol levels-that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Having just one of these conditions doesn’t mean you have metabolic syndrome. However, any of these conditions increase your risk of serious disease. (Mayo Clinic, 2011).