Some of the most common concerns affecting men — weight gain, low energy, decreased sex drive, and declining muscle mass — may have more in common than they appear. The connection often starts with metabolic health, a critical but frequently overlooked factor in overall well-being. Improving your metabolic health can have positive influences across many other areas of your life.
What is metabolic health?
Metabolic health is a measure of how well your body manages energy from food. To measure it, your doctor will likely look at your fasting blood sugar, triglycerides, HDL (“good” cholesterol), blood pressure, and waist circumference. If you have three or more indicators, you may have something called metabolic syndrome.
What is metabolic syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that co-occur and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. It’s common and treatable.
“Metabolic syndrome becomes more common with age, particularly after 40 years old, although it is increasingly seen in younger individuals due to rising obesity rates,” says Dr. Omar Bellorin-Marin, Medical Director of GI Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery at Holy Name.
Metabolic syndrome is largely driven by insulin resistance, which is when the body doesn’t effectively respond to the blood sugar-regulating hormone insulin. Men with metabolic syndrome typically have excess abdominal fat, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, high triglyceride levels, and low HDL cholesterol. They can also experience low testosterone, which happens when the testicles do not produce enough of the male sex hormone.
The first step in managing metabolic syndrome is getting to a healthy weight. Doing so via healthy eating and regular exercise is still ideal, but today, several tools are available to aid weight loss when combined with a balanced diet and regular exercise. GLP-1 medications can be a good first treatment option; however, for patients with a higher BMI, endoscopic procedures such as endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) and bariatric surgery have shown better long-term results and greater success in maintaining weight loss over time.
Testosterone replacement may help some men with symptoms or low levels that have been confirmed by bloodwork, but only if recommended by and sourced from your doctor. It’s not a cure-all, either.
“The best approach is to improve metabolic health first and then see if additional treatment for low testosterone is needed,” Dr. Bellorin-Marin says.
If you’ve been having symptoms that could point to metabolic syndrome, it's not your fault. At Holy Name, our experts offer the tools and encouragement you need to tackle the issue head-on. Make an appointment with Dr. Bellorin-Marin today by calling 201-833-3444.
