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Obesity and your heart: A guide for meaningful discussions


Did you know that living with obesity can affect your heart health?

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of heart-related complications such as high blood pressure. Without early action, these complications can lead to more serious conditions such as heart disease or stroke.

2 min. read
Preclinical and clinical obesity

The good news is that there are steps you can take to manage your heart health - and you don’t have to do it alone. Your doctor can help you to better address your personal risk of heart-related complications, which you can calculate for yourself using our Waist-to-Height ratio (WHtR) calculator. Because WHtR measures body distribution, it is generally considered to be a more accurate indicator of heart health than BMI.  Based on your WHtR results, your doctor can also help you to develop a weight management plan that is tailored to your individual needs and health goals.

When it comes to your consultation, it’s not always easy to know the right questions to ask. That’s exactly why we’ve created a guide to support meaningful discussions with your doctor about heart health.


Take this guide with you to your next consultation to help you feel more prepared to discuss your heart health.

References:
  1. Akil L, Ahmad HA. 2011. Relationships between Obesity and Cardiovascular Diseases in Four Southern States and Colorado. J Health Care Poor Underserved; 22(4 Suppl):  61–72. doi: 10.1353/hpuvv.2011.0166. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3250069/
  2. Garvey WT et al. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology  Comprehensive Clinical Practice Guidelines for Medical  Care of Patients with Obesity. Endocr Pract. 2016 Jul;22  Suppl 3:1-203.
  3. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/risk.htm#:~:text=associated%20with%20obesity-,Body%20Mass%20Index%20(BMI),others%20who%20have%20lost%20muscle.
  4. Ashwell, Margaret. (2011). Charts Based on Body Mass Index and Waist-to-Height Ratio to Assess the Health Risks of Obesity: A Review. The Open Obesity Journal. 311. 78-84. 10.2174/1876823701103010078.
  5. Zhang S, Fu X, Du Z, Guo X, Li Z, Sun G, Zhou Y, Yang H, Yu S, Zheng L, Sun Y, Zhang X. Is waist-to-height ratio the best predictive indicator of cardiovascular disease incidence in hypertensive adults? A cohort study. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2022 May 11;22(1):214. doi: 10.1186/s12872-022-02646-1. PMID: 35545759; PMCID: PMC9092683.
  6. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/choosing-a-safe-successful-weight-loss-program

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