What Is Metabolic Syndrome? 3 Easy Ways To Reverse It and Slash Your Heart Disease Risk
From walking to hitting the sleep sweet spot, learn what really works
Key Takeaways
- Metabolic syndrome affects about half of adults over 60 and raises heart disease & stroke risk.
- Walking, the DASH diet and healthy sleep can improve key metabolic syndrome markers.
- Lowering belly fat, blood pressure and blood sugar may help reverse the condition.
If you’ve been dealing with elevated blood sugar levels or hypertension, your doctor may have mentioned a condition known as metabolic syndrome. But what is metabolic syndrome? By age 60, around half of us have this common health issue, which is diagnosed when you have at least three of the following five risk factors: excess belly fat, low “good” HDL, high blood pressure, high blood sugar or high triglyceride levels. Luckily, enjoyable habits can help turn those numbers around, lowering your risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes in the process.
How to reverse metabolic syndrome
Whether you’re looking to lower high cholesterol, lose weight or tackle any of the other health conditions that contribute to metabolic syndrome, these smart tips can help.
Take a stroll
Doing so may put you on a speedy path to better metabolic health. In a Brazilian study, people with metabolic syndrome who began taking three 40- to 50-minute moderate-intensity walks each week slimmed their waistlines, improved cardiovascular fitness and boosted their HDL cholesterol in 12 weeks. They also lowered their blood pressure by seven to nine percent. That may be enough to nudge some people out of the “high blood pressure” category of metabolic syndrome altogether. (Discover more easy ways to lower your blood pressure fast.)
Try a ‘does-it-all’ diet
The DASH diet may be famous for lowering blood pressure, but a new study in Frontiers in Nutrition found that this lower-salt cousin of the Mediterranean diet improves most major markers of metabolic syndrome. Participants in a meta-analysis of 14 studies trimmed nearly an inch from their waistlines, improved insulin sensitivity, lowered triglycerides by 16.6 mg/dL and appeared to boost HDL cholesterol—all while achieving the expected drop in blood pressure, with systolic readings falling by 5.5 mmHg and diastolic dropping 3.9 mmHg.
Enjoy a ‘just-right’ slumber
Hitting a sleep sweet spot may be one of the most relaxing ways to improve metabolic health. In a large study published in BMC Public Health, researchers analyzed results from over 130,000 folks and found that those who typically slept 6 to 8 hours a night had the lowest rates of metabolic syndrome. One unexpected twist: Sleeping 10 hours or more upped the odds. Both too little and too much sleep may throw hormones that regulate appetite, blood sugar, inflammation and fat storage out of whack.
Tip: Struggling to doze off? Consider a natural sleep supplement such as SugarbearPRO Sleep 5-HTP Amino Vegan Gummies to help you snooze soundly.
A version of this story originally appeared in the August 31, 2026, issue of Woman’s World.
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