If you are obese but all of your “numbers” are good (blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar…), a new study suggests you are still at greater risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) than a normal-weight person with similar numbers.
The study used data from nearly 9,500 adults with an average age of 56 years at the start. Participants were grouped as either metabolically healthy or metabolically unhealthy within the categories of normal weight, overweight, or obese. In 17 years of follow-up, there were 2,600 clinical CVD events in the study population. All groups, including those who were metabolically healthy overweight or obese, had higher CVD risk than the metabolically healthy normal weight individuals. The excess burden of clinical CVD in the metabolically heathy obese participants was primarily due to a higher risk of heart failure.
Even if your overall health is good, extra weight may increase your risk for cardiovascular disease. Smart dietary choices and increased physical activity can help shed pounds and reduce CVD risk.