In the present era, obesity is spreading like an epidemic worldwide, leading to a significant increase in the risk of heart attack and stroke among young individuals. This warning emerged from a medical study conducted in the United States.
According to research conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, excessive body weight or obesity significantly escalates the risk of heart attack and stroke in men under 65 years of age and women under 50 years of age over a period of 10 years.
During this study, data from more than 90,000 women and 27,239 men who were overweight or obese were analyzed to determine the incidence of heart attack and stroke between 2000 and 2020.
It was observed that during this period, over 12,000 cases of heart attack or stroke were recorded among them.
The results revealed that young men and women who struggled with obesity for ten years or more experienced a 25% to 60% increase in the risk of heart attack and stroke.
However, there was no significant increase in this risk observed among women over 50 years of age and men over 65 years of age.
According to the research, controlling body weight as quickly as possible can significantly reduce the risk of life-threatening heart diseases, including heart attack and stroke, among other cardiac complications.
Researchers emphasized that the adverse effects of excess body weight persist for long periods. They further highlighted that maintaining control over body weight can help prevent serious medical complications.
This study is not the first to associate obesity with adverse effects on physical health. Prior research reports have also linked obesity to increased risks of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and various other diseases.
The findings of this new research were presented during the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society.