login
Become a member
Quick Registration
Full Registration Benefits -
Free Homepages for Doctors
Free Homepages for Hospitals
Free Homepages for Medical Conference
Free Homepages for NGO's
Personal Health Record Creation
Access to all Medical Slides
Access to all Jobs & Products Sale
Obesity Contributes To Heart Disease But Also Protects Its Victims - Here's How
Researchers found that obese heart patients respond better to strokes and heart attacks compared to normal or underweight patients.
Although obesity is a leading cause of heart disease, paradoxically scientists say fat and even high cholesterol may have protective benefits.
However, researchers say, losing weight is still best because obesity triggers more heart attacks and strokes.
The study has been published in the May 26, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
"Obese patients with heart disease respond well to treatment and have paradoxically better outcomes and survival than thinner patients," said Carl Lavie, M.D., F.A.C.C., medical director of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention, Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, LA and lead author of the article.
"Although these patients have a more favorable short- and long-term prognosis, we don't yet understand the mechanisms for why this might be the case," the expert added.
The obesity paradox in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), which was first noticed earlier this decade, is complex. It is likely due to a combination of obesity's impact on fat cells and other metabolic processes (e.g., insulin resistance, glucose metabolism, metabolic syndrome), as well as other consequences of being obese.
Dr. Lavie speculates that excess weight may be somewhat protective because these patients have more reserves to fight disease than thinner patients. Another explanation might be that obese patients present with problems earlier due to physical deconditioning (being out of shape) and other non-cardiovascular symptoms and, therefore, have the opportunity to be diagnosed with milder disease.
|
|
|
More News on: Bariatric Surgery, Obesity, Diabetes - Essentials, Binge Eating : The Pleasure and Pain, Bulimia Nervosa, Ideal Body Weight-Adults, Cardiac Catheterization, Heart Attack, Air travel: To fly or not to fly, Diet Lifestyle and Heart Disease
 Comment & Contribute
|
Medwonders Health Network
- Health News Index
 | Quiz on Heart A quiz on heart to learn more about its functions. 
|
- News Quick Links
 |
Obesity
Complete Medindia Resources
|
| News Categories: |
| » | Cardio-Pulmonary Function can be a Strong Indicator for Survival Chances of Breast Cancer Patients |
| » | Post Surgery Will the Tumour Return? New Breast Cancer Test to Predict Exactly |
| » | Scientists Develop Compound That Triggers Cancer Cell Death |
| » | Iraqi National Hopes to Find Affordable Treatment for His Cancer in India |
| » | New Technique can Help Doctors Detect Pancreatic Cancer |
| More Cancer News | |
|
