An obese person who has normal blood pressure, normal cholesterol and normal blood sugar levels is still at risk for heart disease.
In the study of more than 14,000 men and women, aged 30 to 59, those who were obese had more plaque buildup in their arteries, putting them at greater risk for heart disease and stroke than people of normal weight, the researchers found.
People have been trying to work out whether there is a group of people that are obese and healthy.
If an obese person has normal blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, those measures are likely to change over time and become abnormal, putting the patient at risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
We have an enormous challenge at a public health and individual level in dealing with obesity related disorders. Being obese doesn't just affect the heart.
Being obese means you're more likely to have joint disease, psychiatric disorders and cancers.
The next couple of decades, obesity and its consequences will be driving health care costs.
The researchers looked for buildup of calcium plaque in the heart's arteries, which is an early sign of heart disease.
Calcium plaque is linked to atherosclerosis, which is a stiffening and hardening of the arteries.
The investigators found that the obese people had a higher prevalence of atherosclerosis of the heart arteries than the people of normal weight. If atherosclerosis is not managed, it can lead to heart attack and sudden cardiac death, among other heart conditions, the researchers noted.
