Your heart needs you to lose your belly fat. Belly fat has long been associated with first-time heart attacks but now doctors say it can increase your risk for repeated heart attacks.
Numbers Tell the Harsh Truth
Dr. Hanieh Mohammadi authorized a study on the subject of the link between belly fat and heart attacks. She is a researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. She said the numbers aren’t good.
The study tracked some 22,000 people treated after their first heart attack. They were tracked for almost four years. Most had belly fat. The majority of the men had a 37-inch or larger waist while 90 percent of the women had a waist of 31 inches or more.
Researchers concluded that waist size was a larger marker relating to a heart attack than overall weight gain or obesity.
Chances of a Second Heart Attack
Heart attacks should be taken seriously. Statistics show that heart attacks affect 805,000 Americans annually. Around 200,000 of those are repeat heart attack patients.
Reducing the Risk
Heart patients with weight around the middle should talk to their doctor to get into a healthy program to reduce the middle section. Ask your doctor about proper heart-healthy diets that can help you lose weight, the limitations that you may have on exercise, and what else you can do to eliminate belly fat.
Some products say they eliminate belly fat quickly, but it’s best to stay away from those if you already have health risks. Anything you consider should be approved by your doctor before you start taking it.
Reducing the weight around your middle can be done safely even if you are a heart patient. The key thing is to get in a weight-reduction program that is healthy for your condition. Understanding your limitations and improving nutrition can go a long way to helping you reduce weight and risk.
