Metabolic Syndrome Assessment Clinic

It is becoming well recognized that the combination of mental illness and the medications to treat mental illness increases the risk of developing metabolic syndrome.

The Metabolic Syndrome Assessment Clinic at Toowong Private Hospital recognizes these risks and provides a supportive environment for patients with mental illness to be assessed and provided with the educational tools for lifestyle risk changes.

What is metabolic syndrome?

There are many overlapping definitions. Metabolic Syndrome is associated with central obesity and encompasses a wide range of metabolic disturbances in glucose, insulin and lipid metabolism as well as hypertension. We identify metabolic syndrome because the presence of metabolic syndrome has been shown in some studies to double the risk of death from coronary disease after adjustment for traditional cardiac risk factors. Metabolic syndrome increases with age affecting more than 40 percent of people in their 60s and 70s.

How can clinic help?

The clinic has been set up as an educational and monitoring tool. The Toowong Private Hospital Metabolic Syndrome Assessment Clinic provides a comprehensive medical, exercise and diet history and physical examination including measurement parameters for assessment of metabolic syndrome risk.

The doctor assessing the patients is an experienced general practitioner with expertise in sport and exercise medicine.

The assessment process involves 2 visits.

The initial visit is measuring, history taking and examination. Patients are requested to have a fasting blood examination for lipid profile and blood sugar with other relevant tests depending on history and examination findings. All patients have a baseline ECG and may be referred for cardiac exercise stress testing prior to commencing an exercise program. In the initial visit the patients are encouraged to use a pedometer and record their activity levels as well as a mood and food diary for the following week.

On the second visit results are explained. Activity levels and food history is reflected upon and diet, weight, lipid and exercise goals are discussed. Patients are encouraged to attend an afternoon program with lunch and sessions with a nutritionist, exercise physiologist and psychologist with regard to lifestyle modifications.

The clinic does not act as a replacement for the patient’s usual general practitioner and does not provide treatment for any illnesses detected. Instead a report is forwarded to the patient, their general practitioner and psychiatrist. This report includes recommendations with regard to abnormal results requiring followup.

The clinic can also provide follow-up assessments of weight, lipids, sugars and waist measurements and the followup report will go to the treating psychiatrist. Patients are encouraged to seek their own general practitioner if they do not have one.

People with mental illness should be encouraged to take an interest in their physical health. Healthy behaviors such as eating a balanced diet, being physically active and not smoking will help prevent metabolic syndrome. An increase in energy contributes to an important sense of total well being.

The next step!

After attending the Clinic patients may be referred to the Comprehensive Lifestyle Day Treatment Program. The program was created to address lifestyle issues including some of the imbalances caused by Metabolic Syndrome.