A new study shows that deaths from heart disease due to obesity have nearly tripled in the past 20 years.
According to the findings presented at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting in Chicago, deaths from obesity-related heart disease increased 2.8-fold between 1999 and 2020.
The researchers found that the increase was particularly pronounced among middle-aged men, blacks, Midwesterners and rural residents.
Obesity is a serious risk factor for ischemic heart disease, and this risk is increasing alarmingly with the increasing prevalence of obesity, said Dr. Alina Mohsin, a postdoctoral research fellow at Brown University in Providence.
The researchers said that ischemic heart disease is caused by clogged arteries. Less blood and oxygen reaches the heart, which increases the risk of heart attack.
Obesity further increases the risk of heart disease by increasing cholesterol levels, promoting high blood pressure, increasing the chances of type 2 diabetes, and causing poor sleep.
