Obese and suffering from heart disease? You may actually survive a heart attack!

Posted on May 19, 2009
Filed Under news |

Coffee is good for you, no wait, coffee is bad for you. Red wine is good for you, no wait, red wine is bad for you. We have all read these conflicting studies that yo yo between something that is good for you and then it’s bad for you.

Today I read a new research report that says obesity may actually be good for heart disease patients. Apparently, obese patients respond better to strokes and heart attacks than their skinny compadres. This has been termed the “Obesity Paradox”. Researchers at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans who conducted this study have a theory as to why this might be. One theory is that the excess fat and cholesterol may actually provide a buffer against cardiac events and provide the body with additional energy source to fight off infections or damage. Another theory is that maybe obese patients exhibit cardiac issues earlier thereby getting treatment sooner. This is known as “reverse epidemiology”. In a skinny patient, the theory goes that there is not enough excess fat to provide the extra energy needed during a cardiac event.

Regardless, the researchers caution doctors against taking the results of this study to mean that obese patients with heart disease must not be allowed to lose weight. They do say that weight loss is still a good thing and more beneficial in the long run. Until the next study, ofcourse!

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