Heart and Obesity
Obesity is a common problem in India. Obesity and overweight are linked to several factors that increase ones risk for cardiovascular disease (coronary artery disease and stroke):
High blood lipids, especially high triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol
High blood pressure
Impaired glucose tolerance or type-2 (also called adult onset) diabetes
Metabolic syndrome
Obesity and overweight are also linked to hypertension and an enlarged left ventricle (left ventricular hypertrophy), increasing risk for heart failure.
In addition, overweight and obesity can be related to some cancers, gallbladder disease and osteoarthritis.
Heart Problems Related to Obesity
Several different types of heart problems are related to obesity.
Coronary artery disease: Obesity is a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD), which results from cholesterol plaque buildup in the arteries of the heart. Although obesity is linked to many other risk factors for CAD, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome, obesity is also a risk factor for CAD. The risk for CAD is higher in people with “central” or “visceral” obesity that is concentrated in the abdomen.
Heart failure: Obesity is a risk factor for heart failure even in people without CAD. The exact way in which obesity might cause heart failure in the absence of CAD is not known, but there are 2 main explanations. First, obese individuals tend to have greater amounts of blood, which makes the heart pump harder and can lead to heart failure over time. Because the heart works harder, its muscle size increases, a condition called ventricular hypertrophy Second, obesity is linked to sleep apnea, which causes lung problems as well as high blood pressure, both of which can eventually lead to heart failure.