Obesity and Heart Disease
I. Incidence and Definitions
II. Effects on the Cardiovascular System
III. Management
IV. Clinical Studies of Diets
GLOSSARY
atherosclerosis same as atheroma, raised plaques filled with cholesterol, calcium, and other substances on the inner wall of arteries that obstruct the lumen and the flow of blood; the plaque of atheroma hardens the artery, hence the term atherosclerosis (sclerosis ¼ hardening).
dyslipidemia the same as hyperlipidemia, elevated blood choles¬terol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, or low HDL cholesterol.
heart failure failure of the heart to pump sufficient blood from the chambers into the aorta; inadequate supply of blood reaches organs and tissues.
myocardial infarction death of an area of heart muscle due to blockage of a coronary artery by blood clot and atheroma; medical term for heart attack or coronary thrombosis.
- I. INCIDENCE AND DEFINITIONS
You are considered obese if you are more than 25% above the average weight and have a high percentage of body fat. You are moderately obese if you are 25–50% above the average weight and have marked increase in body fat. A body weight exceeding the ideal weight by 75% is considered severe obesity. Measurement of body mass index (BMI), determined from your weight in kilograms divided by the square of your height in meters, is a useful measure of relative obesity: - II. EFFECTS ON THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
If you are slightly overweight, this alone does not signif¬icantly increase your risk of having a heart attack, hyper¬tension, or diabetes provided that you do not already have the risk factors — a family history of heart attacks occurring at an early age (before age 55), hypertension, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, and a stressful lifestyle. Obesity is different from being mildly overweight. - III. MANAGEMENT
A. Weight Reduction Diet - IV. CLINICAL STUDIES OF DIETS
A. The Atkins-Type Diet - BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bonow, R. O., and Eckel, R. Diet, obesity and cardiovascular risk. N. Engl. J. Med., 348:2057–58, 2003.