Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Health

Obesity and Heart-Related Problems

Obesity is a well-established risk factor for heart problems. According to the Heart Book published by the Yale University School of Medicine, any excess weight corresponds with increased risk, and obese people — those with a body mass index of 30 or more — carry the greatest increased risk. Also, those whose extra fat is concentrated around the belly are at higher cardiovascular disease risk. For the overweight and obese, losing weight can lead to improved heart function and less likelihood of heart problems.

Healthy Weight Lifestyle

You can't change your gender, age, or family medical history, though these things do correspond with higher or lower risk of heart disease. But there are several lifestyle changes you can make to reduce the risk of heart attacks, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases.

A healthy lifestyle includes maintaining a healthy weight. This means eating balanced, nutritious meals low in sugar and fat, and also exercising regularly. But it also means quitting smoking if you smoke, managing stress and hostility, maintaining low cholesterol levels, and seeking treatment if you have any irregularities such as high blood pressure, excess heart muscle mass in the left ventricle, enlargement of the ventricular cavity, or any other conditions that might increase your risk. (Ventricular enlargement is usually present in people with high blood pressure or who have already had a heart attack. In patients with hypertension, reduced blood pressure can treat these structural changes to the heart.)

Your doctor can provide you with more in-depth information on the various ways you can improve your lifestyle. The American Heart Association also has a wealth of information available on their Web site. In addition, Los Angeles-based LA Bariatrics can provide information on healthy lifestyles, including reducing obesity.

Stress & Your Heart

Stress is the body’s natural response to external threats. Weather from an unexpected shock or constant events, stress creates a physiological response in the body. When we trigger our “fight or flight” response, the body releases the stress hormones, adrenalin and cortisol. These hormones can cause arrhythmias or even produce a heart attack leading to heart failure. The symptoms of stress are not always recognized or acknowledged. Instead of treating the stress, people exercise less, eat comfort foods, drink alcohol and smoke; behavior that is severely detrimental to the heart.

Dr. John M. Kennedy, the medical director of preventive cardiology and wellness at Marina Del Rey Hospital, is an expert on the direct and indirect effects of stress on the heart. He also specializes in the negative effects obesity can have on cardiovascular health. Dr. Kennedy sees every LA Bariatrics patient, prior to weight loss surgery, to evaluate his or her cardiovascular health. This ensures that safe and effective procedures are performed at Marina Del Rey Hospital in Los Angeles.

How can weight loss surgery help?

Weight loss surgery is a proven, effective solution for serious obesity; the Food and Drug Administration has recently reviewed and recommended the use of certain kinds of surgery on people whose obesity is not in the severe range, under some circumstances. Weight loss surgery shrinks your stomach, making it so you get full more quickly, helping you control portions and lose extra fat. Gastric bypass surgery also blocks the absorption of some calories by the body, boosting the weight loss assistance. This makes it easier for you to be active, which in turn makes the weight loss happen still more quickly.

As your weight goes down, most often so do cholesterol, blood pressure, symptoms of diabetes, and other health concerns that are associated with obesity. In this way, lower risk of heart disease can be considered one of the long-term effects of surgery to reduce obesity.

If you are obese and you think weight loss surgery might assist you in overcoming the condition, and you want to reduce your heart-attack risk by losing excess weight, please call LA Bariatrics. Our office is in Marina Del Rey Hospital, on the Los Angeles-area coast, and we serve patients from Los Angeles and throughout Southern California. We are here to answer your questions and discuss the possibilities to improve your health. Call (310) 577-5540 for a free consultation or schedule an appointment online; we are here to help.