Obesity joins other major risk factors on the list, including smoking, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and a sedentary lifestyle. Obesity was previously listed as a contributing risk factor. The link between obesity and heart disease isn't news to doctors, who have known for years that those who are overweight have increased health risks. Weight loss can benefit lifestyle That 5 to 10 percent weight loss can also make you feel better in general. Pay attention not only to weight loss but pay attention to quality of life.
Obesity is a complex condition that the medical community is just beginning to understand.
The AHA hopes the new listing will get doctors to take the disease more seriously. Eckel said the medical community's understanding of obesity and its impact on heart disease is in its infancy. He compared it to the understanding of cholesterol's role in heart disease in the mid-1970s. In a related development, a new study found that impotence in men caused by blood flow problems may be the first sign of heart disease even in the absence of other symptoms. These men could benefit from a heart exam, especially if they have a history of heart disease in their family, the study said.