Heart Disease And Stroke - Weight And Health: Obesity

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Heart disease and stroke

Heart disease and stroke

Some of the most common problems seen in people who carry excess weight, such as high blood pressure and unhealthy levels of cholesterol and other fats in the blood, tend to occur together and may lead to concurrent health problems. For example, high blood pressure is about six times more common in people who have obesity than in those who are lean. Twenty-two pounds more weight boosts systolic blood pressure (the first number in a reading) by an average of 3 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure (the second number) by an average of 2.3 mm Hg. These increases translate into a 12% increased risk of heart disease and a 24% increased risk of stroke, according to a 2006 statement from the American Heart Association. These numbers are important because heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and stroke ranks third.

Diabetes

Overweight and obesity are so closely linked to diabetes, experts have coined the term "diabesity" to describe the phenomenon. About 90% of people with type 2 diabetes (the most common form of the disease) are overweight or have obesity. The incidence of diabetes rose dramatically, by nearly 65%, between 1996 and 2006. High blood sugar levels, the hallmark of diabetes, are one of the features of metabolic syndrome (see below). Diabetes can't be cured, and if untreated or poorly controlled, it can lead to a number of grave health problems, including kidney failure, blindness, and foot or leg amputations. Diabetes is currently the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

Cancer

Obesity ranks as the second leading cause of cancer death, after cigarette smoking, some experts believe. A 2003 study by the American Cancer Society in the New England Journal of Medicine that followed more than 900,000 people for 16 years showed a link between excess body weight and many different cancers. Among people ages 50 and older, overweight and obesity may account for 14% of all cancer deaths in men and 20% of all cancer deaths in women. In both men and women, higher BMIs were associated with a higher risk of dying from cancer of the esophagus, colon and rectum, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, or kidney. In men, excess weight also increased the risk of dying from stomach or prostate cancer. In women, deaths from breast, uterus, cervix, or ovarian cancer were elevated in women with higher BMIs. Studies suggest that at least part of the problem may be because people who are very overweight are less likely to have cancer-screening tests such as Pap smears and mammograms. A 2005 report in the International Journal of Obesity showed that the larger the woman, the more likely she was to delay getting a pelvic exam, largely because of negative experiences with doctors and their office staff. In men, screening tests such as prostate exams may be physically difficult if people are very overweight, particularly if they tend to store fat in their hips, buttocks, or thighs.

Last updated:	June 20, 2007