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Metabolic health · Saint‑HyacintheComprehensive approach
Understand the connections. Take care of your health as a whole.
Is your blood sugar rising? Are you concerned about your blood pressure or cholesterol? Noticing weight changes at menopause, or want to take stock of your health?
At the Clinique IPS du Palais, our approach to metabolic health brings together the assessment of your risk factors, the follow-up of your health problems and support in reaching your goals.
Health assessments, chronic diseases, weight management and hormonal health: these aspects can be addressed within a single clinical approach.
We take the time to understand your situation in order to set priorities and an appropriate care plan with you.
The basics
Metabolism includes the mechanisms that allow your body to use and store energy.
In a consultation, talking about metabolic health means, among other things, looking at your blood sugar, blood pressure, blood lipids and body fat distribution, while taking your overall health into account.
Several abnormalities can occur together and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease.1, 2
Your weight is one piece of information among others. On its own, it is not enough to determine your health status.
An overview
High blood sugar, high blood pressure or excess abdominal fat can share certain risk factors. Considering them together helps guide prevention and follow-up.
Prediabetes means blood sugar that is higher than normal but does not meet the criteria for diabetes. It is an opportunity to take action to reduce the risk of progression.2
When diabetes is present, care also focuses on preventing its complications and on cardiovascular and kidney health.3
High blood pressure and certain cholesterol abnormalities increase cardiovascular risk. They can be present even when you feel well.
Their management is based on your overall profile: history, smoking, diabetes, test results and other relevant factors.
The buildup of fat in the liver, called hepatic steatosis, can be associated with metabolic factors. One term used in this case is metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD.4
It is frequently associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity, but can also affect people without apparent excess weight. A targeted assessment may be indicated depending on your profile.
In some situations, excess fat mass contributes to metabolic problems. Weight management may then be part of treatment, with goals adapted to your health.
Each problem keeps its own assessment and treatment criteria. A comprehensive approach helps coordinate decisions.
Who is it for?
You can discuss it with our team if:
You don't need to want to lose weight to take an interest in your metabolic health.
The health assessment
Before choosing an intervention, we review what really applies to you.
The assessment may cover:
Depending on your situation, the NP may suggest:
| Possible assessment | What it helps examine |
|---|---|
| Blood pressure | Screening for or follow-up of high blood pressure |
| Blood sugar or glycated hemoglobin, called HbA1c | Blood sugar regulation |
| Lipid panel | Cholesterol and triglycerides |
| Kidney function and, in some situations, urine albumin | Kidney health, particularly when diabetes is present |
| Liver tests and targeted investigations | Certain liver abnormalities or risks |
| Weight, waist circumference and body composition | Complementary elements of the assessment |
| Thyroid assessment or other targeted tests | A specific clinical question, when they are indicated |
This list is not a set of routinely prescribed tests. The assessment is tailored to your history, your previous results and the decisions it will help make.
Weight management
In a metabolic approach, goals may relate to your blood sugar, blood pressure, physical abilities, quality of life and, when relevant, your weight.
We discuss possible approaches with you:
The choice depends on your assessment, your preferences and the expected benefits. No weight loss result can be guaranteed.
The InBody analysis estimates, among other things, fat mass, muscle mass and body water. It can provide additional information during follow-up.
Its results depend on measurement conditions and must be interpreted in context.
InBody does not directly measure insulin resistance and does not replace blood tests or clinical assessment.
Nutrition
When nutritional support is relevant, a referral to a dietitian-nutritionist may be offered.
The goal is to help you turn recommendations into choices adapted to your preferences, budget, schedule and needs.
If you are already receiving nutrition follow-up, we can take into account the work already done. With your consent, collaboration between professionals can support a consistent plan.
The approach is built with you, taking into account what is achievable in your life.
Hormonal health
Hormones play a role in how metabolism works. However, weight gain, fatigue or difficulty feeling well are not, on their own, enough to conclude that there is a hormonal problem.
The assessment helps distinguish what may be due to a hormonal transition, an illness, a treatment or other factors.
The menopausal transition can be accompanied by changes in body fat distribution. Aging, sleep and lifestyle habits also play a role in weight changes.5
This period is an opportunity to review symptoms, but also blood pressure, cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic health.
You can therefore address your menopause symptoms and your metabolic concerns as part of the same clinical approach.
When indicated, hormone therapy may be offered to relieve certain menopause symptoms, after a personalized assessment of benefits and risks.6
Among other things, it can improve symptoms that disrupt daily life, such as hot flashes and night sweats.
Hormone therapy is not a weight loss treatment. It is not prescribed to prevent cardiovascular disease.5, 6
Treating hormonal symptoms and treating metabolic risk factors each have their place in your care plan.
Hypothyroidism can contribute to certain symptoms, including fatigue and weight gain. An assessment may be relevant depending on your situation.7
However, the presence of these symptoms is not enough to make the diagnosis. Thyroid hormones are not a weight loss treatment for people whose thyroid function is normal.7
Discover our approach to hormonal health and hormone therapy →
Chronic diseases
When several health problems are present, follow-up makes it possible to review the treatment as a whole. Depending on your situation, appointments may be used to:
Explain your results and how they change over time.
Set priority goals with you.
Reassess the effectiveness and tolerability of medications.
Adjust treatment when indicated.
Plan relevant monitoring tests.
Coordinate care with the professionals already involved.
A team by your side
At Clinique IPS du Palais, the clinical nurse works closely with our NPs. She can provide follow-up for certain health problems and support you between appointments.
Assessment of your condition, sample collection and care according to applicable protocols or prescriptions, and continuity of your follow-up.
Clear explanations about your condition, your treatments and your results, and support with prevention and adopting healthy lifestyle habits.
Are you under the care of a family doctor or a specialist? Let the team know so that the approach takes this follow-up into account.
Our goal is to help you understand your care plan and the next step.
Your journey at the clinic
Preventive check-up, abnormal result, chronic disease, weight management or hormonal symptoms: your reason for consultation guides the appointment.
The NP assesses the available information and determines whether additional tests are needed.
You discuss the options, expected benefits and constraints in order to choose the next actions.
Follow-up makes it possible to review results, your experience with the treatment and any useful adjustments.
How often appointments take place depends on your needs.
Referral
| Your main concern | Starting point to discuss with the team |
|---|---|
| Get an overall review of your health | Health assessment |
| Understand an abnormal result or review a treatment | NP consultation or chronic disease follow-up |
| Get support with your weight | Weight management consultation |
| Discuss perimenopause or menopause symptoms | Hormonal health consultation |
| Several concerns at once | Contact the team to choose the length and type of appointment |
You don't need to determine the diagnosis or the necessary tests yourself before booking an appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Weight cannot rule out high blood pressure, a cholesterol abnormality or a blood sugar disorder. The assessment takes other elements into account, including your history and your results.
It is a cluster of abnormalities that includes, among others, a large waist circumference, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol.1
The presence of at least three criteria, depending on the thresholds used, may correspond to metabolic syndrome. The NP interprets these elements in your context.
Not routinely. Tests are chosen according to the clinical questions. Certain diagnoses, such as menopause in typical situations after age 45, generally do not require hormone level testing.6
No. Certain risk factors can be present without symptoms. Whether screening is appropriate depends on factors such as your age, your history and your health status.
Goals are personalized. A weight intervention may be relevant, but your follow-up can also focus on blood pressure, blood sugar, blood lipids and habits that support your health.
No. The indications are different. Hormone therapy does not replace the specific management of diabetes, high blood pressure or a lipid abnormality.
Not necessarily. A prescription depends on your assessment and the expected benefits. Options are discussed with you; no medication is prescribed automatically.
Don't fast unless you have been instructed to. If tests require special preparation, the team will explain it to you.
Bring your list of medications and supplements, your recent results if you have them, as well as your blood pressure or blood sugar readings if you already take them at home.
The fee depends on the type and length of the appointment. Our team will specify the applicable fees, as well as those for any additional services or tests offered.
Would you like to understand your results, review the follow-up of a chronic disease, or address your weight and hormonal health together?
At Clinique IPS du Palais, in Saint-Hyacinthe, we suggest starting with an assessment of your situation and your priorities.
Understanding your health. Choosing the next steps with you.
The information on this page is provided for information purposes only and does not replace a consultation with a health professional.
