Being overweight doesn't make you more likely to die in the hospital after a heart attack — but it does raise other risks
The Prevalence and Outcome of Excess Body Weight Among Middle Eastern Patients Presenting With Acute Coronary Syndrome
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Many heart attack patients in the Middle East are overweight or obese. These patients often have diabetes or high blood pressure, but they don't die more often in the hospital than normal-weight patients. However, obese patients with a specific type of heart attack (STEMI) are more likely to have another heart issue or bleed badly.
Surprising Findings
Obese patients had lower smoking rates than normal-weight patients.
It contradicts the common assumption that obesity and smoking go hand-in-hand; here, obese patients were less likely to smoke, suggesting different risk profiles.
Practical Takeaways
If you're overweight and have heart disease risk factors, focus on managing diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol—even if your weight doesn't directly raise death risk.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Many heart attack patients in the Middle East are overweight or obese. These patients often have diabetes or high blood pressure, but they don't die more often in the hospital than normal-weight patients. However, obese patients with a specific type of heart attack (STEMI) are more likely to have another heart issue or bleed badly.
Surprising Findings
Obese patients had lower smoking rates than normal-weight patients.
It contradicts the common assumption that obesity and smoking go hand-in-hand; here, obese patients were less likely to smoke, suggesting different risk profiles.
Practical Takeaways
If you're overweight and have heart disease risk factors, focus on managing diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol—even if your weight doesn't directly raise death risk.
Publication
Journal
Angiology
Year
2010
Authors
Hadi A. R. Hadi, M. Zubaid, W. Al Mahmeed, A. El-Menyar, A. Alsheikh-Ali, Rajivir Singh, Abdulrahman Al-Nabti, Nidal Assad, K. Sulaiman, M. Al-Mallah, H. Amin, A. Al‐Motarreb, H. Mahmoud, J. Al Suwaidi
Related Content
Claims (4)
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.
In the Middle East, people who are overweight or obese and have a heart attack are more likely to also have diabetes, high blood pressure, or bad cholesterol—but they’re not more likely to die in the hospital than thinner patients.
In the Middle East, about two out of every three heart attack patients are overweight or obese, which means excess weight is a big problem for this group.
In the Middle East, people who have had a serious heart attack and are overweight are more likely to have another heart problem or bleed badly afterward than those who are a normal weight.