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Studies also fitte thickness with an increased heart attack risk
There are people who are relatively athletic and seem to be moving enough, but still carry too much weight with them. It has often been said that people can be fat and fit. Researchers now found out that this myth is not true. Obesity increases the risk of heart attack by more than a quarter, even if those affected are relatively athletic and physically healthy.
Researchers at Imperial College London and the internationally acclaimed University of Cambridge found in their study that being overweight leads to an increased risk of heart attack, even if those affected are otherwise physically healthy. The doctors published a press release on the results of their study.
There are repeated claims that overweight and obese people can still be healthy. Physicians found that even overweight people who are healthy seem to have an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). (Image: Adiano / fotolia.com) Obesity or obesity increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) by up to 28 percent
The experts have found that obesity or obesity increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) by up to 28 percent, compared to people of healthy body weight. This risk persists even if the subjects have healthy blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. These findings add to a growing body of evidence that says "fat but fit" is a myth, the researchers say. People should definitely aim to keep their body weight within a normal range.
Fat deposits lead to metabolic changes
The accumulation of too much fat in the human body is associated with a number of metabolic changes. These include, for example, increased blood pressure, high blood sugar and altered cholesterol levels. These effects can lead to illness and generally poorer health, say the experts.
Even healthy overweight people are at an increased risk for heart disease
Previous studies found some overweight people who apparently did not have any adverse health effects from being overweight. These individuals were classified as metabolically healthy in the medical literature as obese. In the media then it was fat but fit. The results show that these obese, apparently healthy people still have an increased risk of heart disease, explains the author. Camille Lassale from University College London.
Experts analyze data from more than half a million people
In the largest study of their kind so far, the scientists used the data of more than half a million people in ten European countries. The data used was part of the European Prospective Investigation in Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. The results showed that overweight is associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease, even if people actually have a healthy metabolic profile.
Overweight is a risk factor for health
If people are overweight or obese, every effort should be made urgently to help those affected to regain a healthy weight. "Even if your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol are in the normal range, being overweight is still a risk factor," explains the author. Camille Lassale.
Healthy overweight people simply have not developed an unhealthy metabolic profile
In the current study, the experts examined the association between obesity and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). In this condition, not enough blood gets through the clogged arteries to the heart, which can then lead to heart attacks, the researchers explain. After 12 years of medical surveillance, a total of 7,637 people in the EPIC cohort had adverse effects related to coronary heart disease, such as death from a heart attack. The physicians also selected more than 10,000 people for a control group. The study showed that overweight people are considered healthy if they have not previously developed an unhealthy metabolic profile, the researchers say.
What is the body mass index?
Body weight was classified according to the definitions of the World Health Organization. The body mass index (BMI) was used for this. People with a body mass index over 30 were classified as obese. People with a BMI of 25-30 were classified as overweight. A BMI of 18.5-25 is considered a normal body weight, say the scientists.
Experts are investigating different metabolic markers
More than half of the participants in the control group (63 percent) were female, with a mean age of 53.6 years and an average BMI of 26.1. Participants were considered unhealthy if they had three or more specific metabolic markers, the authors of the study explain. These included high blood pressure, blood glucose or triglyceride levels, low HDL cholesterol levels or a waist circumference in men over 94 cm and 80 cm in women.
Results were adjusted to different lifestyle factors
After adjusting the results to lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet, physical activity and socioeconomic status, the researchers found that participants who were considered unhealthy in weight were more than twice as high as those in the healthy normal weight group No risk of coronary heart disease, whether they were of normal weight, were overweight or obese, the researchers say. Obesity itself does not directly increase the risk of heart disease, but the risk is indirectly triggered by various mechanisms, such as increased blood pressure and a high level of glucose, the experts add. (As)