The Role of Weight in Cardiovascular Disease

Obesity and being overweight increases the risk of a number of diseases, including diabetes, sleep disorders, certain types of cancer, menstrual disorders, gallbladder disease, and coronary artery disease (disease of the blood vessels that supply the heart muscle with blood), which can lead to angina, a heart attack, or type 2 diabetes. Losing weight reduces this risk.

Obesity’s effects on the heart and blood vessels are due to several factors. Changes in the blood that occur in obesity can make the blood more likely to form a clot that could block a blood vessel. The heart also has to work harder in obese people, which can lead to heart failure.