Weight Loss Strengthens Your Heart, Lowers Heart Attack Risk
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
A study from Turkey shows that the heart beats with greater strength when
a person loses weight (Heart Vessels, March 2006). The obese patients in
the study received echocardiograms to predict their risk for heart failure
by measuring their left ventricular function. After they lost at least ten
percent of their total body weight, the strength of the contractions of
their hearts increased significantly.
This study shows that weight loss
should be part of the treatment for heart failure if the person is
overweight. It also explains why being overweight makes you tired and
short of breath, because your heart has to work much harder to push blood
through blood vessels blocked by fat. Losing excess weight improves heart
function and also helps to prevent diabetes, heart attacks, strokes,
kidney damage and even certain cancers.
A blood test called HBA1C will help your doctor decide if you are at risk
for a heart attack, even if you are not diabetic. When your blood sugar
level rises too high, sugar sticks to cells. Once on a cell, sugar cannot
be removed and is converted to a poison called sorbitol that destroys the
cell to damage arteries and cause heart attacks.
HemoglobinA1C (HBA1C)
measures how much sugar is attached to cell membranes. A study in the
Archives of Internal Medicine (Volume 16, 2005) shows that an HBA1C level
below 4.6 percent means you are at very low risk for a heart attack.
However, each one-percent increase raises the risk for a heart attack
nearly 2.5 times. So people who have HBA1Cs above 4.6 are at increased
risk for heart attacks, even if they are not diabetic.
More than 40 percent of Americans die of heart attacks and other blood
vessel damaging diseases and 35 percent ultimately become diabetic. That
means that all people who have HBA1Cs above 5 should consider losing
excess weight by eating less and exercising more, avoiding smoking, and
going on a diet that limits refined carbohydrates (foods made from flour
or with added sugars), saturated fats (meat and chicken) and partially
hydrogenated oils. If your HBA1C is above 6, your doctor may prescribe
diabetic medications.
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Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and
practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified
in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to
hundreds of his fitness and health reports -- and the FREE Good Food
Book -- at http://www.DrMirkin.com
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