Why does being overweight put me at risk of bad heart health?
Being overweight increases your risk of developing cardiovascular conditions because it can lead to high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. These factors commonly occur together in what’s known as metabolic syndrome, a key driver of heart disease. In this video, Dr Ravi Assomull explains how excess weight can contribute to cardiac risk.
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Transcript
So being overweight puts you at increased risk of cardiovascular problems, of heart issues, because it is associated with increased blood pressure. Being overweight also increases your risk of diabetes, which in itself is a big risk factor for heart conditions. Being overweight is also associated with high levels of cholesterol, which is another risk factor for heart problems.
All of these risk factors, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and being overweight are grouped together in a condition that we refer to as the metabolic syndrome.
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