Metabolic syndrome is one of the most important public health problems of the 21st century. Metabolic syndrome is defined as a group of diseases in which more than one cardiovascular disease risk factor is clustered. It is one of the important causes of cardiovascular diseases and deaths from these diseases in developed countries, although it has become increasingly important in the last century. It is more common in countries with a western lifestyle.
Metabolic syndrome is found in 34-39% of the adult population in the USA. The incidence of metabolic syndrome in our country is similar to the rates in Europe and America. Until today, many definitions have been made by different health authorities. Five common components of all definitions; increased fasting blood sugar (insulin resistance), increased blood pressure, elevated triglyceride level (TG), decreased high-density lipoprotein level (HDL), and obesity.
UROLOGICAL PROBLEMS ARE MORE COMMON
New research has revealed that metabolic syndrome is also associated with various urological diseases. Urological problems such as benign prostate enlargement, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, overactive bladder, male infertility, stress urinary incontinence and hypogonadism are observed more frequently in these people.
ATTENTION TO THOSE WITH DIABETES, HYPERTENSION, OBESITY!
It has been shown in many studies that there is a strong relationship between metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases and erectile dysfunction. Metabolic syndrome components also cause vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunction lining the inner surface of the vessel, and the frequency and severity of erectile dysfunction increases as the number of components increases. They reported that the incidence of various degrees of erectile dysfunction in patients with metabolic syndrome under 50 years of age was 68.4%, and the incidence in patients with metabolic syndrome over 50 years old was 74.8%.
In our country, any degree of erectile dysfunction was reported in 79% of patients with metabolic syndrome and severe erectile dysfunction in 24.8%. In many studies, metabolic syndrome was found in approximately half of the patients over the age of 50 who presented with erectile dysfunction, and it was shown that approximately half of these patients had severe erectile dysfunction. In different studies, it has been stated that diabetes, hypertension and obesity are the most important metabolic syndrome components for the development of severe erectile dysfunction. The testosterone hormone is converted to estrogen in the presence of increased adipose tissue around the abdomen. This can cause sexual dysfunction and sexual reluctance. For these reasons, it is stated that erectile dysfunction may be a precursor to future cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, occlusions, stroke and heart attack.
PROSTATE GROWTH IS SEEN
Annual prostate growth rate was found to be higher in men with metabolic syndrome than in men without metabolic syndrome. In these people, problems with urination are seen at an earlier age. As the number of metabolic syndrome components increases, the severity of symptoms related to urination increases and the urinary flow rate decreases. The response to alpha-blocker drug treatments, which is the first-line treatment option in benign prostate patients, is less in the presence of metabolic syndrome. In recent years, there have been studies showing that there may be a relationship between metabolic syndrome and prostate cancer. It is said that in these patients, prostate cancer is more aggressive, treatment success and cancer recurrence are higher.
LIFE STYLE IS VERY IMPORTANT
Insulin resistance is the basis of metabolic syndrome in which genetic and environmental factors play a role. Insulin resistance, on the other hand, is a situation where insulin cannot enter the cell and transport glucose, even though the body secretes insulin. In these cases, where the insulin effect is insufficient, the amount of fat in the blood and organs increases. The main factors that increase insulin resistance are; It is excessive weight that is caused by a sedentary lifestyle and high calorie intake. After a while, a vicious cycle occurs between the fat around the abdomen and insulin resistance. It is necessary to break this cycle with a balanced diet and increase in regular moderate-high-paced physical activity. Mediterranean diet, avoidance of high-calorie foods and atherogenic diet, and increased physical activity are the basis of treatment. It should be known that drug therapy alone will not be sufficient without lifestyle changes.