In this article, we discuss ways in which obesity can worsen the health of the heart overtime.
Obesity can cause pressure on the heart and affect the normal functioning of the heart
Obesity in itself is considered a chronic disease that must be treated at the earliest and correctly. Lack of proper routine and diet can further affect our weight and lead to obesity. Being overweight can further worsen your health by increasing your risk of number of diseases.
Heart disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, cancer, and arthritis are just a few of the health issues associated with obesity. A BMI of 18 to 25 is considered normal, whereas a BMI of 30 or greater is considered obese. Let's now understand how can obesity affect the health of our heart.
Here are ways in which obesity increase our risk of fatal heart problems:
1. Worsen cholesterol levels
Your cholesterol levels may alter. Most of us are aware that obesity can increase levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides. However, many don't know that obesity can lower good high-density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol. In order to lower the risk of heart disease and remove bad cholesterol, HDL cholesterol is crucial.
2. Increase your risk hypertension
Your cholesterol levels may fluctuate as a result. Most people are aware that obesity can increase bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels, but did you realise that it can also affect HDL cholesterol? The removal of bad cholesterol and efforts to lower the risk of heart disease are both made possible by HDL cholesterol.
3. Can lead to diabetes
You shouldn't just be concerned about heart attacks, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol if you're obese. Diabetes is also far more likely to occur in obese people. The time to take action is now if you have diabetes but have not yet received a heart disease diagnosis.
4. Cause sleep apnea
The fact that obstructed sleep apnea causes a disorganised night's sleep is unpleasant enough on its own. Furthermore, a study indicated that metabolic syndrome, hypertension, prediabetes, and abnormal cholesterol levels were more prevalent in overweight individuals with mild sleep apnea.
5. Causes hidden inflammation
Your chance of developing atherosclerosis and the accumulation of plaque in the walls of the arteries is raised by this covert inflammation and the inflammatory chemicals it releases. Moreover, obesity causes the blood to release chemicals that might cause plaque to burst, which is what causes heart attacks. For our arteries, obesity is like broken glass.
6. Disrupts the normal functioning of the heart
Obesity, according to research, increases your risk of atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat that occurs quickly in the atria of the heart and increases your risk of stroke, heart failure, and other disorders related to the heart. In addition, obesity can cause the heart to expand due to uncontrolled hypertension.
7. Causes atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is the buildup of plaque on the blood vessel's inner walls. Cholesterol, calcium, clotting agents, and other components make up plaque. The blood flow to the heart may become partially or totally blocked as plaque accumulates in the blood arteries of the heart. Chest pain and/or a heart attack are the result of the heart muscles receiving less oxygen as a result. Coronary heart disease is caused by atherosclerosis.
Now that you understand thew adverse and fatal effects of obesity on the heart, you can take systematic preventive measures to manage your weight and lower risk of these diseases.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
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