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MONDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDayNews) -- A combination of exercise and weight loss greatly reduces the risk of insulin overproduction and lowers the blood pressure of people who have a condition called Syndrome X.

So says a Duke University Medical Center study published Sept. 8 in the Archives of Internal Medicine (news - web sites).

Syndrome X refers to a collection of metabolic abnormalities that put patients at greater risk of stroke and coronary artery disease. The syndrome is characterized by elevated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, obesity and insulin resistance.

It's estimated that about 40 million adults in the United States have Syndrome X, which is often overlooked by doctors.

"A non-pharmacologic treatment for these patients is needed, since drugs prescribed to lower blood pressure have been shown to actually worsen carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in Syndrome X patients, negating the beneficial effects of those drugs," study lead author Lana Watkins says in a news release.

She and her colleagues found that overweight people with Syndrome X who exercised and lost weight had a 47 percent reduction in insulin overproduction, a condition called hyperinsulinemia. Patients who exercised but didn't lose weight had a 27 percent reduction.

The patients who achieved the greatest weight loss showed the most significant improvements in abnormal insulin responses.

"In the last five years there has been an increased appreciation that hyperinsulinemia is an independent risk factor for mortality, and that it can even be seen as a marker or mechanism underlying this increased risk," Watkins says.

"Our study highlights the importance of lifestyle modifications such as exercise and weight loss, which have no adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and do not interact with any drugs," she says.