May 22 program examines key developments in the battle against Metabolic Syndrome
May 4, 2007A new Rural Health Education Foundation program airing on May 22 tackles the prevention, treatment and management of metabolic syndrome in both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
“Syndrome X”: Update on Metabolic Syndrome, funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, also examines key developments in the battle against metabolic syndrome.
Topics of discussion include the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) consensus worldwide definition, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of metabolic syndrome.
The all new program, which airs on the Foundation’s satellite network at 8pm (EST) on Tuesday 22 May, with a repeat at 12.30pm on Friday 25 May, brings together a knowledgeable group of health professionals who are passionate about reducing the incidence of metabolic syndrome across Australia now, and for future generations.
The panel comprises Associate Professor Kate Samaras (pictured), Dr Ashim Sinha, Dr Andrew Binns, Dr Geraldine Moses and Mr Alan Barclay, and is facilitated by Dr Norman Swan.
About Metabolic Syndrome
Australians who are obese are six times more likely to develop metabolic syndrome than those of normal weight1. This is a bleak statistic and it is no longer possible for Australian GPs and Allied Health Practitioners to overlook the metabolic syndrome epidemic.
As a consequence of the sedentary lifestyle of the 21st century, obesity and other contributing factors to metabolic syndrome such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease regularly make media headlines, however metabolic syndrome itself is not a new condition. It was first described in the 1920s by Eskil Kylin (1889-1975), a Swedish physician2.
By 2007, medical research developments have brought about a level of clarity on a number of issues pertaining to metabolic syndrome, namely, worldwide consensus on the diagnostic classification of metabolic syndrome, the implication of genes and the extreme effect of metabolic syndrome on Indigenous Australians.
Prevention strategies
When discussing prevention strategies for metabolic syndrome, Associate Professor Kate Samaras3 raises evidence of strong genetic factors underlying metabolic syndrome.
“Targeting the families of those adults identified with metabolic syndrome is an important focus of prevention,” she says. “Instead of considering only individual intervention, health professionals should think more along lines of treating the whole family by intervening the affected parent(s).”
“While prevention or reversal of metabolic syndrome can occur in identified patients, the priority should be to prevent the patterns from beginning in childhood,” Associate Professor Samaras adds. “If you can transform the lifestyle of kids and adolescents, they may have the healthy lifestyle skills to continue these into adult life.”
More information
For full details of the program, visit the “Syndrome X”: Update on Metabolic Syndrome program page.
1. ELM Barr, DJ Magliano, PZ Zimmet, KR Polkinghorne, RC Atkins, DW Dunstan, SG Murray, JE Shaw. (2005). AusDiab 2005 - The Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study. International Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
2. Alberti, K. George M.M., Zimmet, Paul. & Shaw, Jonathan. (2005). The metabolic syndrome-a new worldwide definition. The Lancet 366.949, (Sept 24), p. 1059, 4p.
3. Associate Professor Kate Samaras is the Head, Diabetes and Obesity Clinical Group, Diabetes and Obesity Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research; and Senor Staff Specialist, Department of Endocrinology, St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney.