The relationship between obesity and heart disease
Konsilmed
Jul 07, 2023
5 Min Read
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What is the relationship between obesity and heart disease
To understand the relationship between obesity and heart disease, here are the main points that explain the relationship between obesity and heart disease:

1. Obesity may affect cholesterol levels
In the sense that obesity would raise the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood, and in turn reduce the levels of good cholesterol as well.
2. Obesity may contribute to high blood pressure
This is due to the greater need for blood and oxygen in order to nourish the different parts of the body, in addition to the greater burden that the body exerts to move the blood within it.

3. Being obese may affect your metabolism
This causes metabolic syndrome, which may raise the risk of heart disease.

4. Obesity may increase the risk of developing diabetes
All of the above factors raise the risk of developing diabetes as well, but did you know that diabetes also raises the risk of heart disease? In some cases, various practical studies indicated that obesity and overweight can play a major role in increasing the risk of heart disease, the most important of which is heart failure and coronary heart disease.

So this means that obesity and heart disease have a tight relationship, as the former raises the risk of heart disease directly and indirectly as well.

Heart disease caused by obesity:
As we mentioned, obesity increases the risk of heart disease, the most important of which we mention the following:

1. Cardiac arrest
Obesity is associated with the problem of heart failure, as each unit increase in body mass index corresponds to a 5% increase in the incidence of heart failure in men, and 7% in women. in the work of the heart.

This, in turn, causes an increase in the amount of blood that returns to the heart as well, which may lead to an enlarged heart and an increase in the burden on its walls. Over time, the heart may develop what is known as left ventricular hypertrophy, which would cause heart failure.

2. Atrial fibrillation
A health condition summarized in an irregular heartbeat, in which the chambers of the heart work in an inconsistent manner during an injury, which leads to a decrease in blood circulation in the body and an increased risk of blood clots. It is worth noting that obesity may significantly increase the risk of developing atrial fibrillation. .

3. Coronary heart disease
This injury results in decreased blood flow to the heart muscle due to the accumulation of platelets and fats in the blood vessels. Obesity and the accumulation of fat in the abdominal region, in particular, may be associated with a significantly higher risk of coronary heart disease.

4. Stroke
It is an injury that occurs when blood flow to the brain is reduced, as there are many risk factors that would cause this injury, including obesity.

Obesity treatment
The most prominent methods of treatment include the following:

1. Exercise
Exercise is necessary to maintain weight loss and treat obesity in the long term. Physical activity causes an increase in the consumption of calories in the body.

Exercising alone leads to a little weight loss, and the main advantage of exercising is that it helps to maintain weight loss over time. It is recommended today to practice moderate physical activity for an hour a day.

2. Pharmacological treatment of obesity
Very few prescription obesity medications are approved and recommended for weight loss. Medications are recommended as part of an overall treatment program and not as the sole means of weight loss and obesity treatment.

Medicines have many side effects, such as:

*Dry mouth.
* constipation.
* dizziness.
*Insomnia.
*diarrhea.
* Various disorders in the digestive system.

3. Surgical treatment
Obese people with a body mass index of more than 40 can undergo various stomach surgeries that lead to weight loss.

However, the decrease in weight, which is estimated at about 50% of the patient's initial weight, is accompanied by serious side effects and complications of the surgery, such as:

* Infection in the peritoneum.
* Stones in the bile duct.
* Deficiency of different vitamins.

Obesity prevention
The most important methods of prevention include the following:

* Eat five small meals a day.
* Avoid processed foods.
* Reduce sugar consumption.
* Reduce the use of artificial sweeteners.
* Avoid saturated fats.
* Cook food at home.
*Try a vegan diet.

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