Hormonal
Chronic sympathetic nervous system overactivity is a primary driver of metabolic syndrome components, including central obesity and insulin resistance, rather than merely a consequence.
If you have metabolic syndrome or central obesity, your body may be physiologically driving weight gain and insulin resistance through an overactive sympathetic nervous system. This is not just a willpower issue. Interventions that reduce sympathetic tone, such as weight loss, exercise, or specific medications (like imidazoline agonists) and devices (like renal denervation), may be necessary to break this cycle.
Accumulating data from animal and human studies suggest that central sympathetic overactivity plays a pivotal role in the aetiology and complications of several metabolic conditions that can cluster to form the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS).
Why this rating
The paper is a review citing multiple prospective cohort studies and animal models, but notes long-term efficacy of interventions requires further investigation.
Source
Relevance of Sympathetic Nervous System Activation in Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome
Alicia A. Thorp et al. · Journal of Diabetes Research · 2015
DOI 10.1155/2015/341583
More from this paper
- Lifestyle interventions, specifically weight loss and exercise, reduce sympathetic nerve activity and improve metabolic control in patients with Metabolic Syndrome.Good
- Pharmacological inhibition of central sympathetic outflow using imidazoline I1 agonists (e.g., moxonidine) improves metabolic parameters including blood pressure, weight, and insulin sensitivity in MetS patients.Moderate
- Catheter-based renal denervation reduces sympathetic nerve activity and improves glucose metabolism in patients with resistant hypertension, polycystic ovary syndrome, and obstructive sleep apnea.Moderate
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