Take any three of elevated blood pressure, excess abdominal fat, high triglycerides, high blood sugar or low “good” cholesterol and what you have is a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome. With that diagnosis, you are at greater risk for heart attack, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and stroke. The U.T. Health Science Center’s Dr. Patti Olusola talks about diagnosing, treating and preventing metabolic syndrome.

What is metabolic syndrome? (first question)

What are the risk factors for metabolic syndrome? (skip to 1:20)

Why is having metabolic syndrome so alarming? (skip to 1:58)

Are there signs or symptoms to look for? (skip to 2:20)

How is metabolic syndrome diagnosed? (skip to 3:11)

How is metabolic syndrome treated? (skip to 4:17)

Are children at risk for developing metabolic syndrome? (skip to 5:19)

Why is metabolic syndrome becoming more common? (skip to 5:47)

If you lose weight, what effect will it have on the risk factors for metabolic syndrome? (skip to 6:26)

Can metabolic syndrome be reversed? (skip to 7:23)

When your heart has to work extra hard to pump blood into your lungs, the condition is called pulmonary hypertension. When not treated, it can lead to shortness of breath, dizziness and ultimately heart failure. University of Texas Health Science Center pulmonologist Dr. Julie Philley answers questions about pulmonary hypertension in this post to HealthConnection.TV.

What is pulmonary hypertension and what causes it? (first question)

How is pulmonary hypertension different from common high blood pressure? (skip to 0:50)

What are the symptoms of pulmonary hypertension? (skip to 1:31)

Are there groups of people who are at higher risk for pulmonary hypertension? (skip to 1:53)

How do you know if you have pulmonary hypertension? How is it diagnosed? (skip to 2:13)

How serious is pulmonary hypertension and can it be cured? (skip to 3:07)

It’s called the silent killer for a reason. Many people who have high blood pressure either don’t know it or don’t treat it and suffer not a single symptom until something catastrophic such as a heart attack or stroke occurs. Dr. Patti Olusola, a Family Medicine Specialist at the University of Texas Health Science Center answers questions regarding diagnosing and treating high blood pressure in this post to Health Connection.TV.

What is high blood pressure? (first question)

What causes high blood pressure? (skip to 0:34)

What are the symptoms of high blood pressure and why is it called the “silent killer?” (skip to 1:02)

What happens to people who have high blood pressure who either don’t know it or don’t treat it? (skip to 1:30)

How is high blood pressure treated? (skip to 2:06)

Are medications for treating high blood pressure well tolerated? (skip to 2:40)

What is the connection between salt and high blood pressure? (skip to 2:53)

What are some of the salty foods that we eat that might surprise us? (skip to 3:24)

Can children have high blood pressure? How does it affect them short and long term? (skip to 4:04)

If one has high blood pressure, how helpful is it to use a blood pressure monitor at home and how accurate are the readings? (skip to 4:59)

If using a blood pressure monitor at home, how frequently should a reading be taken and what time of day is best? (skip to 5:51)

Will there ever be a vaccine for high blood pressure? (skip to 6:38)