Almost every study that has ever been published has found that obesity can be a leading cause of heart disease. A new study led by UCLA cardiologist Tamara Horwich agrees with those findings. However, Horwich’s study found the link between obesity and heart disease may be much more complex than previously believed.
While obesity may increase the risks of heart disease in many patients, it may also limit its impact. Horwich said that obesity may even reduce the risk of heart failure. This is one of the only ways that obesity has been shown to help patients.
Heart attacks occur when the heart is no longer able to pump all the blood the body needs. Individuals suffering from heart failure show a number of symptoms, including:
- Difficulty breathing and coughing
- Exhaustion
- Swollen limbs due to pooling fluids
Although genetics and a number of other traits contribute to heart disease, obesity is shown to increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
The UCLA researchers decided to investigate the connection between heart disease and obesity more thoroughly. They reviewed the medical records of nearly 3,000 UCLA patients suffering from heart failure. They looked at their patients to draw a correlation between the odds of surviving heart failure and a patient’s body mass index (BMI). They found that the patients with higher BMI had a higher incidence of survival. A similar comparison with subjects with higher circumferences drew a similar conclusion.
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