Understanding the Connection Between

Obesity & Heart Disease

Weight and heart disease risk factors

Living with obesity increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. This includes heart disease and potentially life-changing events such as heart attack and stroke. It may also be linked to an increased risk of having a second heart attack or dying due to heart disease. According to one study, that risk may be 50%-80% higher, depending on BMI.

Can weight management improve heart disease risk factors?

Living with obesity and risk factors for heart disease can feel overwhelming. But losing excess weight could lead to lower blood pressure, improvements in cholesterol, and improvements in blood sugar. Talk to your health care provider about how weight management could be a part of your cardiovascular disease risk factor treatment plan.

Improve blood pressure

Blood pressure is a measurement of blood against the blood vessels. Hypertension occurs when your blood pressure is too high. Over time, high blood pressure can cause the blood vessels leading to the heart to harden and narrow, making flow more difficult.

For people with obesity and high blood pressure, losing 5%-15% or more of body weight may help lower blood pressure. For example, for someone who weighs 250 pounds, that means losing about 13-38 pounds.

Understand blood pressure numbers

Blood Pressure Category	Systolic Blood Pressure		Diastolic Blood Pressure
Normal	<120 mmhg	and	<80 mmhg
Elevated	120-129 mmhg	and	<80 mmhg
High Blood Pressure (Stage 1)	130-139 mmhg	or	80-89 mmhg
High Blood Pressure (Stage 2)	≥140 mmhg	or	≥90 mmhg

Reach out to your health care provider if you have any questions about your blood pressure numbers.

Improve cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in the blood. There are both good and bad kinds of cholesterol.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is sometimes called “bad” because high levels of LDL can form plaque and block blood flow to the heart.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is sometimes called “good” cholesterol. HDL helps remove other forms of cholesterol from your bloodstream.

Triglycerides are a common type of fat that help store excess energy. When combined with high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol, this can lead to fatty buildup in the arteries.

Losing 5%-15% or more of body weight can help improve cholesterol. For example, for someone who weighs 250 pounds, that means losing about 13 pounds.

Understand cholesterol numbers

Optimal Cholesterol Levels
Total Cholesterol	about 150 mg/dL
LDL ("bad") cholesterol	about 100 mg/dL
HDL ("good") cholesterol	at least 40 mg/dL in men and 50 mg/dL in women
Triglycerides	less than 150 mg/dL

Reach out to your health care provider if you have any questions about your cholesterol numbers.

Improve blood sugar

The body uses glucose, or sugar, as a source of energy. Living with obesity may be associated with elevated blood sugar, which can lead to prediabetes. In prediabetes, blood sugar levels are consistently higher than normal. Prediabetes can progress to type 2 diabetes.

For people with excess weight and type 2 diabetes, losing at least 2.5% of body weight can help improve blood sugar levels. For example, for someone who weighs 250 pounds, that means losing at least 6 pounds.

Understand blood sugar numbers

	Normal	Prediabetes	Diabetes
A1C	Up to 5.6%	5.7% - 6.4%	6.5% or higher
Fasting blood sugar test (mg/dL)	up to 99	100 - 125	126 or higher
Glucose tolerance test (mg/dL)	up to 139	140 - 199	200 or higher

Reach out to your health care provider if you have any questions about your blood sugar numbers.

Ask a health care provider how to manage weight today.

Work with a health care provider to manage your weight and improve your risk factors for heart disease. In one study, people who partnered with a health care provider lost 5 times more weight than those who did it alone. Find a treatment plan that can work for you.

Talk to a Health Care Provider

The potential effects of cardiovascular disease

It’s important to know that excess weight can lead to cardiovascular disease. Obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, which can include the following:

Stroke

An ischemic stroke, the most common type, is when a blood vessel to the brain gets blocked, usually by a blood clot. When the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, brain cells can become damaged.

Obesity can increase the risk of stroke.

Heart Attack

A heart attack occurs when the blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked. This blockage can cut off blood flow to part of the heart, causing damage.

Obesity may increase the risk of heart attack.

Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is when plaque, a buildup of cholesterol, forms on the walls of the arteries. This can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Obesity can increase the risk of atherosclerosis.

Heart Failure

Heart failure happens when the heart isn’t pumping blood as well as it should. This means blood and oxygen can’t get to where it’s needed in the body. Heart failure can worsen if left untreated.

Obesity can increase the risk of heart failure.

Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is the most common type of heart disease. Someone has coronary heart disease when the arteries of the heart can’t get enough oxygen and blood to the heart due to a buildup of plaque.

Obesity can increase the risk of coronary artery disease, which can lead to heart attack.

Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat. An irregular heartbeat can include the heart beating too fast, too slow, or inconsistently.

Obesity can increase the risk of atrial fibrillation.

Weight-loss goals

Living with obesity increases the chance of developing cardiovascular disease.

If you’re living with excess weight and heart disease risk factors, developing a weight-management plan can help to reach weight-loss goals and improve certain risk factors for heart disease.

Talk to a Health Care Provider