JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Dec. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Insulin Resistance Syndrome (IRS), also known as Metabolic Syndrome X, is responsible for a major increase in death from heart disease, diabetes and cancer, as well as non-alcoholic liver disease, declared experts from around the world. The First Annual World Congress on the Clinical Manifestations of The Insulin Resistance Syndrome, co-sponsored by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), convened in Los Angeles, California on November 21-22, 2003. The Congress presented the newest findings from basic research, clinical laboratories and practicing physicians.
With IRS affecting at least 47 million Americans, including over one-third of people over age 60, and alarmingly nearly 15% of children and teens, it is easy to see why this is a major public health problem.
“The goal of the Congress was to assemble experts from around the world to review all available data in order to make solid recommendations on the prevention and treatment of IRS,” stated Yehuda Handelsman, MD, FACP, FACE, co-chairman of the conference.
To put a stop to this growing epidemic, experts from the Congress called for greater awareness and detection of IRS, better diet and exercise to counteract its deadly effects and future research to find better methods of treatment.
The first step to decreasing the rising numbers of patients with IRS is through awareness and detection. “Patients should ask their doctors if they should be tested,” said Donald Bergman, MD, FACE, AACE President. “Identifying IRS early and taking steps to treat it with diet, exercise and medication, will save many lives.”
Important new findings on how insulin resistance prevents insulin from performing its normal functions, which include helping muscles to use glucose (sugar) as fuel and preventing the liver from making too much sugar, were reviewed. This causes a series of events, which ultimately contribute to the development of heart attacks.
Data was presented indicating that a healthy diet and weight loss significantly improve the disorders, which result from insulin resistance syndrome. It was also shown that children benefit from a healthy diet and weight loss.
Dr. Gerald Reaven, Professor of Medicine at Stanford University, who originally described the syndrome (in 1988 he called it Syndrome X), and conference co-chair, noted that, “Continued research is important to learn how to best treat patients with IRS in order to avoid deadly complications.”
New information shows that there is an increase in breast, prostate and colon cancer in patients with IRS. Also, women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) have an extremely high risk of having the serious consequences of this disorder.
AACE is a professional medical organization with over 4,500 members in the United States and 70 other countries. Founded in 1991, AACE is dedicated to the optimal care of patients with endocrine disorders. AACE initiatives inform the public about endocrine diseases. AACE also conducts continuing education programs for clinical endocrinologists, physicians whose advanced, specialized training enables them to be experts in the care of endocrine diseases, such as IRS, diabetes, thyroid disorders, growth hormone deficiency, osteoporosis, cholesterol disorders, hypertension and obesity.
For further information visit AACE Online at http://www.aace.com/.
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
CONTACT: Sissy Crabtree of American Association of ClinicalEndocrinologists, +1-904-353-7878
Web site: http://www.aace.com/