Eat a healthy and balanced diet, stay physically active, and maintain a healthy body weight – these are some of the most essential recommendations shared every year on World Heart Day, September 29. Every extra kilogram puts additional strain on the heart, and obesity today is one of the most significant challenges to heart health.
Obesity and Its impact on heart health
– Obesity is not just an aesthetic problem. It has profound and direct consequences on the heart and vascular system, from high blood pressure and atherosclerosis to heart attacks and strokes, warns cardiologist Assoc. Prof. Aleksandar Kibel, Head of Internal Medicine and Cardiology at IMC Priora.
– I focused on the treatment of obesity primarily because, as a cardiologist, I find it compelling that with significant weight reduction we can significantly contribute to lowering the risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes – explains Professor Kibel.
Coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease – all are diagnoses directly linked to excess body weight.
How does obesity damage the heart?
Obesity increases the risk of atherosclerotic disease, where blood vessels narrow and the supply of oxygen to the heart decreases, which can have fatal consequences.
The main mechanisms by which obesity affects the heart:
– Excess fat tissue, especially around the abdomen, is linked to chronic inflammation and insulin resistance.
– Increased body weight leads to higher blood pressure because the heart must pump harder to supply the body with blood.
– In obese individuals, hypertrophy (thickening) of the heart muscle occurs more often, which over time can lead to heart failure.
– Fats deposit on the walls of blood vessels, causing atherosclerosis and increasing the risk of a heart attack.
– Obesity is also an independent risk factor for the development of atrial fibrillation, the most common form of heart rhythm disorder, which raises the risk of stroke.
Croatia at the top of the obesity rankings
Despite all this, alarming data show that 65 percent of Croatians are overweight, placing Croatia, along with Malta, at the top in Europe.
– The best moment to treat obesity is immediately, especially when the BMI has just exceeded 30, as this is when the development of heart disease can best be prevented, emphasizes Prof. Kibel.
Prevention and treatment of obesity – The key to heart health
For all these reasons, cardiologists increasingly emphasize the importance of preventing and treating obesity early – not only through lifestyle changes but also with the aid of new, effective, and safe medications, which are now also included in international cardiology guidelines.
Heart health begins on the scale. On World Heart Day, let’s remind ourselves: every kilogram lost can mean a lower risk of disease, better quality of life, and longer life expectancy.
