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Moderate Weight Gain Ups Heart Attack Risk |
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Moderate Weight Gain Ups Heart Attack Risk |
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| Moderate Weight Gain
Ups Heart Attack Risk A new Swedish study suggests putting on a few pounds after age 20 can increase a man's risk of developing heart disease or suffering a heart attack. It's been well established that obesity is a risk factor for heart disease, but the new study shows even moderate weight gain can have a long-term effect. Researchers at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Goteborg, Sweden, analyzed data on 6,874 men born between 1915 and 1925 and who were examined in the early 1970s. Study participants were asked how much they weighed at age 20 and were divided into groups based on their current weight. Researchers found the average weight gain from age 20 to middle age was about 22 pounds. Almost 80 percent of the men studied gained more than 4 percent of their weight at age 20. Those who gained the most since age 20 showed three times greater risk of dying from heart disease or suffering a heart attack. Other studies have shown women who gain a small amount of weight from age 18 to middle age had a slightly higher incidence of heart disease, even if the women had a normal adult body weight. This study appears in the March issue of European Heart Journal. |