Obesity Cuts Heart Attack Deaths By Over 50%
After treatment for a heart attack, obese patients have a lower risk of dying than normal weight patients.
It doesn’t make sense, does it?
My earlier article, Obesity May Cause Enlarged Heart, says that obesity puts you at higher risk of heart problems that can be deadly.
Here’s why both conclusions are true:
You’re more likely to develop heart problems if you’re obese. But once you actually have a heart attack and have been treated optimally, obesity can protect you from dying.
At least, in some cases.
The Medical Proof
In a study published in the European Heart Journal, German and Swiss researchers found that a high body mass index cut the death rate for 3 years after a heart attack by over 50%.
The doctors studied almost 1700 patients who were hospitalized for unstable angina/non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction between 1996 and 1999.
That’s a medical term for a specific type of heart attack.
The researchers couldn’t figure out why the obese patients had a better survival rate.
They were younger and less likely to have suffered an earlier heart attack. But the doctors adjusted their data to reflect those facts and it made no difference.
The obese patients still had lower death rates.
Other Theories
The researchers believe that other reasons may explain what happened.
For example, obese people have lower levels of blood platelets which results in fewer blood clots.
Also, the higher fat content in their heart tissue may protect their damaged hearts.
But this assumes you survive long enough to be treated. There’s always the risk of sudden cardiac death.
So if you’re obese, it’s still better to lose your excess weight and reduce your chance of heart problems in the first place.
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