Obesity May Cause Enlarged Heart
If you have a body mass index of 30 or more — which indicates obesity — you may be at particular risk for developing heart disease.
That’s because obesity is linked to the thickening of the muscle in your left ventricle, the heart’s pumping chamber.
This condition, called left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), can result in heart rhythm problems and heart failure.
LVH is also associated with a higher risk of death.
Hypertrophy is a medical term for the enlargement of an organ — in this case, the heart.
An Enlarged Heart Isn’t A Disease Itself
It’s a symptom of an underlying problem that’s causing the heart to work harder than normal.
Sometimes, an enlarged heart has no symptoms.
But if the heart can’t pump blood effectively, you may develop congestive heart failure. This may cause shortness of breath, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, heart palpitations, and fluid retention.
The Medical Proof
This link between obesity and an enlarged heart was recently discovered by a research team from The University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center.
They analyzed over 17,000 heart ultrasounds. Their study showed that the 3 greatest risks for LVH were a narrowing of the aortic valve, gender, and body mass index.
The cause of LVH in obese people is unknown.
But one conclusion is inescapable: avoiding a high body mass index may prevent LVH and result in a healthier heart.
So if you’re overweight or obese, lose weight now — before heart problems develop. If you already have heart problems or you’re not sure, see your doctor. This is not a condition that can be ignored.
Technorati Tags: obesity, weight loss, lose weight, diet, dieting, enlarged heart, heart failure, left ventricular hypertrophy
June 25th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
Not exactly what I wanted to hear after a weekend eating binge.
June 25th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
Obesity also causes high blood pressure which may be why you get the heart problems.
June 25th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Almost everyone I know who’s heavy has shortness of breath when they go up stairs or exercise. It doesn’t mean they have a heart condition, does it?
June 25th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
It makes sense that obesity would make your heart work harder. It also puts stress on your joints and causes all kinds of other health problems like diabetes. There isn’t a good reason to stay overweight that I know of.
June 25th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
If you lose weight, does the heart go back to normal size?
June 25th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Thyroid problems can cause a lot of the same symptoms as heart failure so even if your heart checks out, I learned the hard way to keep looking for the cause of your symptoms.
June 25th, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Christina- There are any number of medical conditions that can cause shortness of breath. You need to see a doctor to get a correct diagnosis and treat the problem.
Stephanie- Will the heart go back to normal size? I’ve read of some cases where an enlarged heart can get smaller if the underlying cause is treated. But I’ve also read of cases where the enlargement is permanent. Then your doctor will try to treat you so that the heart function is improved even though the heart is enlarged. But understand that I’m not a doctor. You really need to discuss any individual medical conditions with a qualified physician.
June 26th, 2007 at 12:49 am
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July 30th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
obesity is not the only cause of heart disease. Fluid buildup can also cause chf (congestive heart failure). Being overweight alone is not the major cause though. I know lots of obese people, and their lab work always comes back normal. No diabetes, bad cholestrol, nothing. I have battled the bulge all my life, and up until I had non-hodgkins disease, my health was near perfect. Now, with my abdominal lympnodes gone, there is NO way for my body to regulate the fluid, so, I now am suffering with massive fluid in my entire body, especially my legs, and it’s called edema. My legs if real swollen, bust open and drain fluid out. Most doctors wanna blame the patient and their weight, I know several doctors did in my case, and they never wanna admit they were wrong. They had no easy answer for my problem, so they blamed it on my weight gain. Irresponsibility on their part! Now, because of 3 other doctors failing to say, hey, I don’t know, and just blaming it on the weight I’d gained instead of checking me out thoroughly, I now have an enlarged heart and don’t know how things are gonna turn out for me!