[Non-pharmacological therapy of metabolic syndrome]

The metabolic syndrome usually goes along with abdominal obesity: diabetes type II, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and gout are often associated. The common characteristic is the resistance to insulin action. Reasons for the metabolic syndrome are--besides a genetic determination--overnutrition, physical inactivity, and alcohol consumption. Therefore, a causal therapy aims at the elimination of these factors. Consequently, the non-pharmacological therapy of the metabolic syndrome should be emphasized. The most important treatment is the reduction of body weight in the presence of obesity which is relevant for almost 90% of the patients. Body weight can rapidly be diminished by hypocaloric diets. Both, conventional reducing diets or formula diets may be used for weight reduction. Total fasting should not be performed for several reasons. For minor weight reduction or weight maintenance following a period of rapid weight loss with a hypocaloric diet, increased physical activity also lowers weight or prevents relapsing. Aims of therapeutical procedures are the elimination or amelioration of insulin resistance and subsequently the diseases of the metabolic syndrome. Both methods, reducing diet and physical training, act on various factors related to insulin resistance. For example, hypocaloric diets activate thyroxine kinase of the insulin receptor and reduce glucose and insulin in plasma. Physical training reduces not only insulin and glucose in plasma but also free fatty acids in addition and increases capillary density in skeletal muscle. Using the glucose clamp technique, diets and training are equally effective in improving glucose metabolism. Compared to these non-pharmacological methods drugs are less convincing. Since the non-pharmacological treatment implies behavioral changes with regard to nutrition, physical activity and alcohol consumption, simple instructions are not sufficient. Usually long-lasting changes in life style are necessary in order to achieve health improvement. Therefore, health care programs on individual or social basis are required in order to improve nutrition and increase physical activity. However, long-acting effects are difficult to achieve in adults; more promising is the prevention of insulin resistance.