As part of the 57th annual American Heart Month, our Valentine to you is to help you understand how to keep your heart as healthy as possible for as long as possible. While you may have heard that obesity and excess weight can stress your heart, did you know that being underweight isn’t heart-healthy either?
Despite more knowledge about how to stay healthy, heart disease is still the No. 1 killer in the United States and worldwide. Between 2010 and 2019, cardiovascular disease increased by more than 26%.
Renowned and caring cardiologist Dr. Ola Akinboboye wants you to know as much about heart health as possible. He and our team at Laurelton Heart Specialists — in Rosedale, Queens in New York City — encourage you to examine your lifestyle and general health to be sure you’re making the best choices for your heart.
Why is being underweight or overweight risky for heart health? Below, we explain.
If you’re overweight or have obesity, you may already have learned from your doctor or cardiologist that those excess pounds affect how your body functions. Having obesity, for instance, increases your risk for arthritis and varicose veins because of the pressure that extra weight exerts on your joints and veins.
We’ve known for a while that having obesity contributes to conditions that raise your risk for heart disease, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. And now we also know that excess weight directly stresses your heart by making it work more than it should.
When you put too many demands on your heart, eventually it starts to wear down. This can happen even if you don’t have other health conditions, such as diabetes.
If you’re currently overweight or have obesity, don’t panic: Even losing a small amount of weight helps protect your heart. But you should avoid weight gain at all costs. One study showed that a five-point increase in your body mass index (BMI) raises your risk for heart failure by 32%.
We can help you attain and maintain a healthy weight with medically supervised weight loss.
Although the influence on heart health of being underweight is less studied than being overweight, it seems that neither extreme is good for you. When you’re underweight (BMI of less than 18.5), you’re more likely to have a medical condition or eating disorder (such as anorexia nervosa) that can strain your heart.
Also, you can look skinny but still have too much body fat. Sometimes called being “skinny fat,” in this condition you may have more fat than is healthy around your vital organs, including your heart. Despite the numbers on the scale, you could have the same risk profile as someone with obesity.
Finally, if you’re underweight, you may not be taking in sufficient nutrients to keep your heart healthy, such as adequate high-quality protein. You may be undereating, choosing an unhealthy diet, or have a health condition that prevents you from absorbing nutrients.
In addition to increasing or decreasing your BMI — depending on whether you’re underweight or overweight — you need to consider other factors when it comes to your heart health. Your waistline is a good indication of whether you have too much body fat, despite the numbers on the scale.
To determine your waist size, wrap a measuring tape around your waist. It should be snug, but not tight enough to make a depression in your skin.
If you’re a man, more than 37 inches puts you at increased risk and more than 40 inches is substantially increased risk. If you’re a woman, more than 31.5 inches is increased risk; more than 35 inches is a substantially increased risk.
Of course, all of these measurements must also be considered along with other factors, such as your cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and pulse rate. If you’re concerned about your heart health, please contact us. We help you design diet and lifestyle interventions to help you attain a healthy weight, cholesterol levels, and waist size.
Give yourself a Valentine for American Heart Month by scheduling a heart evaluation today at Laurelton Heart Specialists. Call us at 718-208-4816 or use our online outreach form.
