Risk of heart disease still high if 'fat but fit'

ucl.ac.uk/epidemiology/" target="_blank">Epidemiology and Public Health Research Associate Dr Camille Lassale was featured in the media recently, regarding her involvement in a study looking at how being overweight, obese and/or 'metabolically unhealthy' affects heart health. 

The study, published in the European Heart Journal, is the largest to date looking at such impacts. Dr Lassale's team studied results from over 7,600 adults who experienced coronary heart disease, categorising them by their BMI (body mass index) as well as their metabolic health. Information such as blood pressure and blood sugar were collected at the start of the study, with follow ups identifying whether they had experienced aspects of coronary heart disease, for example a heart attack.

People who were deemed "healthy" but were overweight were found to be 26 per cent more likely to develop coronary heart disease, and this rose to 28 per cent in those that were obese, compared to healthy individuals of normal weight.

Photo by Jessica Ruscello on Unsplash

Dr Lassale led the research whilst she was based at Imperial College, and together with colleagues concluded that there is "no such thing as being healthy obese [...] Even if you are classified as metabolically healthy, [excess weight is] associated with an increased risk of heart disease."

Even those who don't display metabolic signs such as high blood pressure "... seem to be at an intermediate risk," Dr Lassale commented. "We saw that they went on to develop [more] heart attacks."

The team acknowledge, however, that they cannot say with certainty why those carrying extra weight went on to have more heart disease.

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Twitter: @dr_cacs @EPHDept

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