In a new study from the National University of Ireland, researchers found weight loss is given insufficient priority in the management of heart patients despite the benefits.
They found that less than 20% had a healthy body mass index (BMI) at the time of hospitalization for a heart event.
Some 16 months later, 86% of patients who were obese during hospitalization were still obese while 14% of overweight patients had become obese. Young women were particularly affected, with nearly half of those under 55 years being obese.
Yet more than a third of obese patients said they had not received advice on physical activity or nutrition and nearly one in five said they had not been informed that they were overweight.
Weight loss is strongly recommended in overweight and obese patients with coronary heart disease to improve blood pressure and lipids levels and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, thereby lowering the likelihood of another heart event.
In the study, the team examined the management of patients who were overweight or obese at the time of hospitalization for a first or recurrent heart event (e.g. heart attack or elective procedure to unblock clogged arteries).
The researchers examined 10,507 patients with coronary heart disease. Patients were visited 6 to 24 months after hospitalization for their heart event (the average gap was 16 months).
At the time of hospitalization, 34.9% of patients were obese and another 46.0% were overweight. By the time of the study visit (on average 16 months later), an even greater proportion of patients were obese (36.9%).
The team found overweight or obese patients who lost 5% or more of their body weight had much lower levels of high blood pressure and previously unrecognized diabetes compared to those who gained 5% or more of their body weight.
They also reported higher levels of the physical and emotional quality of life.
The team also found for obese patients, less than two-thirds were advised to follow dietary recommendations (63.7%) or to do regular physical activity (64.2%).
Positive associations were found between lifestyle improvements and weight loss in obese or overweight patients.
Compared to those who gained 5% or more of their body weight, those who lost at least 5% of their body weight had more frequently reduced fat and sugar intake, increased consumption of fruit, vegetables, and fish, do regular physical activity, attended a cardiac rehabilitation and prevention program and followed dietary advice from a health professional.
The authors say that weight gain was strongly linked to smoking cessation.
They suggest cardiac rehabilitation programs, which typically emphasize exercise, should give equal priority to dietary management.
There are good reasons for people to address their weight after a cardiac event. – but it’s not easy and they do need help.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about doing this after a heart attack could increase survival and findings of how to quickly restore normal heart rhythm.
For more information about heart disease, please see recent studies about this type of omega-3 may actually harm your heart health and results showing that this personality trait linked to heart attack death.
The study is published in the European Heart Journal—Quality of Care and Clinical Outcomes. One author of the study is Professor Catriona Jennings.
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