Carrying extra weight makes it more likely you'll have a heart attack or stroke because it pushes up your blood pressure, messes up your cholesterol, and causes body-wide inflammation.

Pro

Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Community contributions welcome

Causal relationship of excess body weight on cardiovascular events through risk factors

Cohort Study

Human

2022 Mar 28

Contradicting (1)

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The Prevalence and Outcome of Excess Body Weight Among Middle Eastern Patients Presenting With Acute Coronary Syndrome

Cross-Sectional Study

Human

2010 Jul

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Similar Assertions

If you're middle-aged and carry extra weight (even if you're not obese), you're 34% more likely to have a heart attack or stroke over the next 17 years — even if you don’t have diabetes, high blood pressure, or kidney disease. This suggests your extra fat might be harming your heart in ways we don’t fully understand yet.

85%