About Heart Disease Caused by Obesity

Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the U.S. Being overweight greatly increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. The American Heart Association states that waist circumference and a waist-to-hip ratio measurement is a predictor of heart disease and mortality from obesity.

Know Your Measurements

• A waist measurement of greater than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women increases your risk of heart disease. If you divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement, and the answer is greater than 0.9 for men and 0.85 for women you may have a higher risk of heart disease.

Abdominal Fat

• According to the National Institutes of Health, excess abdominal fat is linked to substances that cause inflammation in the blood vessels, which raises your risk for heart disease.

Correlation

• People who are overweight are more likely to have high blood pressure and cholesterol, both of which are major risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Excess weight can contribute to angina as there is a decreased level of oxygen getting to the heart.

Studies on Obesity and Heart Disease

• A study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that in middle-aged women with a body mass index between 23 and 25 and middle aged men with a body mass index that was between 25 and 29 had a significantly higher risk or heart disease.

Considerations

• If you are overweight you may have lower levels of HDL cholesterol or the good cholesterol. Carrying extra weight raises your blood pressure and risk of diabetes. People with diabetes have a higher risk of heart disease.