Are YOU 60 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack, stroke?

What I want to discuss today shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.

So, lets get right to it…

According to a recent study, those who have been obese for over 10 years are up to 60 percent more likely to experience a cardiovascular event—like heart attack or stroke—compared to those who maintain a healthier weight.

And while the association isn’t shocking, I won’t lie: That’s a big jump!

Let’s take a closer look…

A constant “high”

Researchers used data from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. They identified people with a body mass index (BMI) over 25 at least once between 1990 and 1999.

(The study analyzed those who were overweight or obese for a period of time, not just temporarily.)

You may recall that a BMI over 25 is considered “overweight,” whereas a BMI over 30 is considered “obese.”

Subjects were followed over the next two decades (2000-2020). And researchers recorded cardiovascular events, including heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular-related death.

Those with the highest excess weight had an average annual BMI of 30.6, while those with the lowest excess weight had an average annual BMI of 25.7.

And here’s what researchers found…

The time is now

Researchers looked at subject’s ages at study outset (in 1990). When they compared age, weight, and cardiovascular risk, they drew some eye-opening conclusions.

Among those who had obesity for over 10 years, cardiovascular risk was the highest in:

• Women under 35 (by 60 percent)
• Men aged 35-50 (by 57 percent)
• Women aged 35-50 (by 27 percent)
• Men aged 35-65 (by 23 percent)

I had no idea that the risk of excess weight would be more harmful among younger adults!

That said, I guess it does make sense—as those would be the individuals having obesity for the longest amount of time. And the detrimental effects of excess weight on your body certainly add up over time.

In lieu of these findings, Alexander Turchin, MD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, who led the research, said: “I see that as a glass half full.” She added: “If somebody has excess weight, there is an opportunity for them—if they lower their weight—to decrease the subsequent risk of these cardiovascular events.”

And I quite agree.

Since so many young people today are more obese than ever before, it’s critical to make changes—starting today. Remember: Obesity kills.

To learn more about how shedding excess weight can promote improved health, check out the April 2020 issue of my monthly Logical Health Alternatives newsletter (“The life-changing power of losing just a few pounds”). Subscribers can click here to log in with your credentials and read it.

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Source:

“Excess Weight Over Time Increases Risk for Heart Attack.” Medscape, 06/04/2024. (medscape.com/viewarticle/excess-weight-over-time-increases-risk-heart-attack-2024a1000afq)