There is no doubt that obesity itself – and not only its complications such as high blood pressure, diabetes and coronary heart disease – can lead to a fatal heart attack in men, according to a study by specialists from the British Heart Foundation.
Dr Jennifer Logue from the University of Glasgow and his team have been following 15 people for 6 years. obese, middle-aged men with a body mass index (BMI) of 082 to 30 units. Their lifestyle was analyzed, they asked whether they smoked or smoked cigarettes and what diseases they suffer from. When all the so-called risk factors, British researchers concluded that obesity, and not only the accompanying disease, is a separate risk factor for heart attack.
Too much carcass by 60 percent. increases the risk of death from a heart attack in this age group of men – Jennifer Logue in the pages of the magazine Heart. Therefore, in obese people it is not enough to reduce cholesterol, treat hypertension and diabetes. It is necessary to lose weight.
It is not so obvious. It is still quite common to think that obesity is not harmful in itself. It is argued that people who have a lot of loving bodies but are physically active are less likely to be ill and have heart attacks or strokes. Research by British scholars challenges such opinions.
It is not known how obesity contributes to a fatal heart attack. Dr. Jennifer Logue suspects that it triggers chronic inflammatory processes in the body that fuel atherosclerotic changes in the vessels. They make people with coronary disease and narrowed arteries more likely to rupture atherosclerotic plaques, which are the direct cause of a heart attack.
The internal fatty tissue that accumulates in the abdominal cavity is to blame for everything. It not only grows internal organs, but also produces chemicals, including hormones, that trigger inflammatory processes, says Prof. Zbigniew Gaciong, head of the Department and Clinic of Internal Diseases and Hypertension at the Medical University of Warsaw.
The carcass also puts a greater strain on the heart, which is forced to pump more blood. The kidneys save judgment and water, which means they behave as if the body has become dehydrated. There are also changes in the structure of the respiratory tract, leading to hypertension and apnea – adds the professor.
People whose body mass index exceeds 30 units are considered obese (when it is between 25 and 30 we are talking only about overweight). This index is calculated by dividing your body weight (in kilograms) by your height (in meters). For example, a man measuring 2 m may weigh no more than 100 kg, while a woman who is 1,6 m tall should not exceed 65 kg. The correct indicator is 20-25 units.
Abdominal obesity is the most dangerous. It can contribute to the development of diabetes even in those people who have BMI below 25 units – warns Dr. Alicja Milczarczyk from the Department of Internal Diseases, Endocrinology and Diabetology of the Ministry of Interior and Administration Hospital in Warsaw.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the waist circumference of women should not exceed 88 cm, and men – 102 cm. However, the International Diabetes Federation suggests stricter criteria. According to his guidelines, the waist circumference of women must not exceed 80 cm and that of men – 94 cm.
Zbigniew Wojtasiński (PAP)
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