What are the 3 highs?
Singapore's "3 highs" - high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar - affect 1 in 3 adults, 1 in 4 adults, and 1 in 10 diabetics, with rising trends over the years.
What causes these 3 highs? And why are they dangerous?
Metabolic syndrome, caused by overnutrition and insulin resistance, leads to damage to blood vessels, increasing risks of heart disease, strokes, kidney failure, and blindness.
What are the risk factors?
The risk of developing the three highs increases with age, genetics, lifestyle, and smoking habits. Individuals with close family members with high blood sugar risk are more likely to develop these conditions. A high calorie, high fat diet with a sedentary, stressful lifestyle increases the risk of accumulating excess nutrients and storing fats. Smoking also causes discomfort and accelerates blood vessel damage.
Age
As we age, our likelihood of developing metabolic syndrome increases.
Genetics
Family members with metabolic syndrome are more likely to develop the condition due to shared genes and similar upbringing environments and lifestyles.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle factors, including high calorie and fat diets, sedentary lifestyles, and stress, contribute to the risk of developing 3 highs.
Smoking
Smoking is an unhealthy habit, a leading cause of death globally, and promotes inflammation, accelerating blood vessel injury.
Practical steps you can take to fix or prevent the 3 Highs without medicines
Track your weight and waist circumference,
Maintain a healthy BMI of 18.5-23.0, and
Exercise at least 3 times a week
Do regular health screenings
Assess your diabetes risk using a calculator and consult your doctor about your lifetime risk.
Focus on individual tasks like exercise and maintaining a slim waistline.
Reduce stress
Seek help for challenging tasks like quitting smoking or controlling medical conditions.
Use technology to empower your health, such as real-time continuous sugar monitoring devices, reminders, and consulting a professional
Need a program to help you reverse 3 Highs and other medical issues without over reliance on drugs and going under the knife? Check us out: www.fitness-tutor.com and www.coachpaulkuck.com
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