Syndrome X: Reduce your risk with exercise

While exercise has been shown to reduce obesity and other health conditions, until recently little evidence has shown it can also help prevent Syndrome X, a metabolic illness largely characterized by resistance to insulin. Syndrome X, or metabolic syndrome, has been proven to be a lead-in to developing diabetes and heart disease, and may affect an estimated 20 to 40 per cent of North Americans.

Dr. David E. Laaksonen and his team of researchers at the University of Kuopio in Finland studied a group of middle-aged men, taking into account their lifestyle and weekly exercise habits. They found that men who exercised more than three hours per week decreased their risk of developing metabolic syndrome by about 50 percent compared to those who exercised 60 minutes or less.

Source: Diabetes Care 2002; 25:1612-1618.