Weight and heart disease are related, given that being overweight is one of the risk factors for heart disease. Losing weight will not only reduce your risk for heart disease, it can help minimize other factors that contribute to it, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. When considering the relationship between weight and heart disease, remember: even losing a relatively small amount of weight can help.
Weight and Heart Disease: An Overview
If you are overweight or obese, taking pounds off can reduce your chances of developing
heart disease in several ways. First, losing weight will directly lower your risk for heart disease. Second, weight loss can help to reduce a number of other
risk factors for heart disease, as well as lower your risk for other serious conditions. Weight loss can help control
diabetes and reduce
high blood pressure and
high cholesterol. Reaching a healthy weight can also help you to sleep more soundly, experience less pain from
arthritis, and have more energy to take part in activities you enjoy.
Remember, if you need to lose weight, even a small weight loss will help lower your risk for heart disease and other serious health conditions. At the very least, you should not gain any additional weight. A recent study found that young adults who maintain their weight over time, even if they are overweight, have lower risk factors for heart disease in middle age than those whose weight increases.
This eMedTV article will focus on losing weight to help reduce your risk for heart disease and other conditions. You can click
Obesity and Heart Disease to learn about the impact of obesity on heart disease and your particular level of risk.
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