Obese patients are 30% more likely to survive heart attack
- Mildly obese patients who have a heart attack have a higher chance of survival
- They were also more likely to recover faster and spend less time in the hospital
- This is the obesity paradox because obesity increases the risk of heart disease
- The study was done by Dallas researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center
Cheyenne Roundtree For Dailymail.com
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Being obese can increase the rates of surviving a heart attack, a new study claims.
Researchers found that mildly obese patients who suffered a major heart attack were 30 percent more likely to survive three years later.
They were also more likely to recover faster and spend less time in the hospital.
The cardiologists that conducted the study in Dallas, Texas, said this is called the ‘obesity paradox’ because being an unhealthy weight increases the risk of heart conditions but can lead people to have better outcomes.
Mildly obese patients who have a heart attack also have a higher chance of survival than those who are of a normal weight, a new Dallas study revealed
The study was conducted by heart doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
They examined medical records from nearly 20,000 Medicare patients, including those with a normal weight, who had suffered a heart attack.
Researchers found those who were mildly obese, having a BMI of 30 to 35, fared better than those who were of a normal weight, having a BMI between 18.5 to 25.
This group also did better than extremely obese patients, who fared the worst out of all weight categories.
First author Dr Ian Neeland said: ‘One theory is that you have more energy reserves to combat the illness. You’re able to weather the storm better.’
Other theories included that there has been oversight on factors that would explain the obesity advantage or if people of a normal weight have an diagnosed problem.
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OBESE PEOPLE ARE NEARLY 20% LESS LIKELY TO DEVELOP PARKINSON’S
Obese people are nearly 20 per cent less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease (PD), research reveals.
Having an obese BMI throughout your life lowers your risk of developing the condition by 18 per cent, researchers from University College London found.
This may be be due to the weight disorder sharing genetic variants with factors that protect against the neurological condition, according to researchers.
Yet, the researchers warn the health risks of carrying excessive weight will likely outweigh any reduced susceptibility to PD.
They said: ‘Although our results suggest that higher BMI is potentially protective against PD, the negative health impacts of raising BMI are likely to be significant, and should be taken into account.’
Dr Neeland added: ‘I think the message from this finding is that if you’ve had a heart attack and you’re overweight or mildly obese, you shouldn’t necessarily try to lose weight aggressively in the initial period after the heart attack.’
However, the heart doctor does not recommend patients to try and gain weight after a heart attack.
The expert said it’s important to remember that being overweight or obese has a higher chance of developing heart disease and high cholesterol, among other health risks.
Senior author Dr James de Lemos added: ‘Although obesity is clearly an important risk factor for the development of diabetes and heart disease, once a person already has heart disease, these relationships are not as clear cut.’
The new study’s findings are consistent with a report from the American College of Cardiology in 2009.
The organization stated overweight heart attack victims should stay fat as they are more likely to live longer.
Their data found obese people were likely to outlive their leaner counterparts with the same severity of heart problems.
Experts also thought obese patients’ survival rates were higher because excess weight meant patients had more reserves to fight disease than thinner patients.
Another explanation was that obese patients often seek medical advice earlier in the disease process because they are out of shape and suffering other symptoms, which gives doctors the chance to diagnose problems earlier.
Obesity continues to be an epidemic across the globe, with a recent global report revealing nearly a third of the world is obese or overweight.
The World Health Organization said the issue has become a ‘disturbing global public health crisis’, which is contributing to booming rates of diabetes and heart disease.
Excess weight is already contributing to one in every 14 deaths from any cause, the researchers found, a figure which they said is bound to rise.
The US had a rate of 33 percent obesity, which is around 79.4 million obese people.
In addition to unhealthy weight causing mobility issues, obesity causes a slew of health conditions and is known to limit lifespan.
Being overweight or obese has also been proven to lead to strokes, heart disease, hypertension and high blood pressure.
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