How Obesity Can Affect Your Heart - HDFC Life

Obesity is a condition in which there is an excessive accumulation of fat in the body. If you have a BMI of 30 or higher, you are obese. Obesity has been linked to a number of health problems such as cancer, arthritis, stroke etc. However, obesity is leading cause of heart ailments throughout the world. If you are obese, your heart is at the greatest risk.

How is Obesity Linked To Your Heart Health?

Scientific research has already established that people with obesity tend to have higher levels of bad cholesterol and high blood pressure. Obesity also causes insulin resistance, which occurs when your body becomes resistant to the glucose processing hormone insulin. The hormone insulin is responsible for the breakdown of sugar into glucose so that it can be used by your body cells for energy. Over a period, insulin resistance can lead to diabetes. All of the factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes are the top risk factors for developing heart disease. The more risk factors you have, the higher are your chances of developing heart disease. Several medical studies have established the direct connection between obesity and heart disease.

Even if you don't have the above mentioned risk factors, your heart may still be at risk if you are obese. Obese individuals are four times more likely to develop conditions such as heart failure than those with normal body weight. Therefore, the risk of heart disorders persists even after counting out other risk factors. If you don't have high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, you still have a high risk of developing heart disease due to the excessive fat constitution of your body.

How To Lower Your Risk Of Heart Disease And Heart Attacks?

Lose weight

When you have excess body weight, your heart has to pump harder and faster even while doing routine activities. This puts your heart under excessive strain. To lower your risk of heart disease and other illnesses, you must lose excess weight as soon as possible. The longer you carry the excess weight, the greater will be the negative impact on your body.

Change your lifestyle

Changing your lifestyle is the most effective way to improve your heart health. Eat healthy foods, limit your calories and be more physically active.

Take up heart care insurance

If you are obese and have a high risk of heart disease, it's advisable to opt for a heart or cardiac care insurance.

How Obesity Can Affect Your Heart