Obesity- A silent Heart Killer

Obesity is a life-limiting disease that is associated with a number of co-morbidities. Obesity has become a public health epidemic around the globe. One needs to be aware of the fact, the oscillating  weighing scale can contribute to the disturbance in your cardiac rhythum. While the scale and your clothes are the best ways to measure weight gain, everyday movements also can reveal how excess weight affects your health.

Obesity is a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD), which results from cholesterol plaque buildup in the arteries of the heart.  The  science is quite clear that excess weight can carry considerable health risks, including a higher risk for heart attack.  Obesity has traditionally been defined as a body mass index (BMI) value greater than 30 kg/m². The clincal relevance of obesity and its association of metabolic syndrome, with disorders,like arterial hypertension,dyslipidemia,diabetes mellitus,and sleep apnea sydrome, are demostrated by its persistent link to an increased morbidity and mortality.

How obesity is associated with CAD (Coronary Artery Disease) ?

• Obesity causes a spike in bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels, increasing the risk for heart disease.
• It increases blood pressure. As the body carries increasing weight, the heart has to work harder to meet demand. Thus, blood pressure increases, straining the blood vessels and heart muscle.
• Obese patients have more preponderance to develop artheosclerotic coronary artery disease,which is characterized by a reduced sensitivity to insulin,enhanced free fatty acid turnover,a hypercoagulable state and finally promotion of systemic inflammation.

How can we lower the risk of CAD (Coronary Artery Disease) ?

A medically focused program with customised treatment plan will act as a helping aid in achieving the desired objective.  It is a s follows

• Lifestyle modification- Self Monitoring, healthy diet and evaluation of weight gain.
• One can follow an exercise regime under the guidance of physical therapist
• Counseling to help you reframe your attitude toward food, and manage stress or other issues
• Nutrition support with a dietitian
• Review, follow up or change  of medications you’re taking
• Weight loss surgery ( Bariatric Surgery) if indicated.

The distribution of body fat plays an important role in coronary atherogenesis,  greater accumulation of fat tissue in the abdomen increases the risk of coronary calcification. Obesity is a chronic, multifactorial disease with a complex pathogenesis and difficulties in  maintenance objectives and satisfactory outcomes.

I would like to summarise, its time to redress obesity to address the coronary artery disease.