Syndrome X: Overcoming The Silent Killer That Can Give You A Heart Attack

The phrase "insulin resistance" entered the pop lexicon a few years ago. Unfortunately, few people understand what it means, and some of the prescriptions for dealing with the problem actually make it worse.

As Dr. Gerald Reaven, a professor of medicine at Stanford University, explains, insulin resistance is part of Syndrome X, a once-mysterious killer of millions. Someone with Syndrome X has very high insulin levels, along with high blood fats and unusually small and dense particles of LDL (low-density lipoprotein)--the dangerous stuff. Diets high in carbohydrates or protein--like the American Heart Association and Zone diets--actually lead to more insulin production. Reaven says this starts a chain reaction in people with Syndrome X that leads to damaged arteries and eventually to heart attacks.

Since the late 1960s, Dr. Reaven has methodically assembled the various pieces of the Syndrome X puzzle. Almost immediately, his research was bastardized to promote the notion that insulin makes you fat. But, as Dr. Reaven emphasizes in Syndrome X, you don't have to be fat to have insulin resistance, nor are fat people necessarily insulin resistant. Although 25 to 30 percent of Americans have insulin resistance, it's probably not the people you think have it: those at greatest risk are of non-European origin.

The solutions to the problem start with a low-carbohydrate diet that's high in unsaturated fats--fish, nuts, oils, and margarine and mayonnaise made from safflower oil. Reaven also recommends the usual suspects: more exercise, no smoking, less drinking.

The payoff? A longer, healthier life. And the superiority that comes with actually knowing what "insulin resistance" means. --Lou Schuler