The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Small gains in weight can still affect heart
Putting on just a few pounds increases the long-term risk of heart failure, research suggests.
A new study found that gaining as little as 5% extra body weight can lead to thickening and enlargement of the heart muscle – predictors of future heart failure.
This is the equivalent of a 10 stone woman putting on just 7lb over time to take her to 10st 7lb.
Gaining weight also had an effect on the heart’s ability to pump blood, another symptom of heart failure.
Researchers in the US said it did not matter what a person’s weight was at the start of the study – suggesting that even those of normal weight could experience negative effects on the heart if they gain weight over time.
Experts from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre in Dallas followed 1,262 people with an average age of 44 who were free from heart disease and other conditions that put them at high risk for heart disease.
They underwent MRI scans of their hearts and had numerous body fat measurements taken at the start of the study and again seven years later.
Dr Ian Neeland, cardiologist and lead author of the research, said: “Counselling to maintain weight stability, even in the absence of weight loss, may be an important preventive strategy among high-risk individuals.”