Obesity now the leading cause of premature heart attacks |
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Obesity has overtaken smoking as the leading cause of premature heart attacks, according to a new study conducted at William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan. According to the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (September 16, 2008), researchers found that heart attacks occur earlier in people who are overweight or obese. They found that the average age at first heart attack was 74.6 years in the leanest patients and 58.7 years in the most obese. Compared to normal-weight men and women, overweight people had their first heart attack 3.5 years earlier, obese people had their first heart attack 6.8 years earlier and |
severely obese people had their heart attack 12 years earlier.
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Losing belly fat may reduce the risk of eye disease |
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New research finds more benefits to losing belly fat. Researchers at the University of Melbourne, Australia noted that people who lose weight around their middle–particularly those who are obese–could lower their risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of severe vision loss among elderly people. The study found that with a 3% or greater drop in waist-to-hip ratio, the risk of AMD fell significantly compared to people with stable weight. The study looked at 12,515 adults over a 6-year period and was published in the Archives of Opthalmology (November 2008). |
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Steroids for asthma are less effective for obese |
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Past studies have shown a link between weight and steroid response. A new study suggests why steroids are less effective in overweight and obese asthma patients. The study appears in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Steroids work by interfering with inflammatory signaling pathways. They raise the level of a molecule known as MAP kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1). Researchers at National Jewish Health found that in overweight and obese asthmatics, steroids did not increase MKP-1 |
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However, steroids remain a mainstay of treatment for both lean and Source: |
Male fertility may be affected by obesity |
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Obese men who are otherwise healthy could be less fertile than normal-weight men. A new study reveals hormonal differences that may signal a reduced reproductive capacity. The study appeared in the journal Fertility and Sterility. |
Researchers at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine in Hershey found that obese men had lower levels of testosterone in their blood, as well as lower levels of luteinizing hormone (LLH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) – both of which are essential to reproduction. These low levels may indicate “partial” hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, a condition in which the testes do not function properly due to signaling problems in the hypothalamus or pituitary gland, two brain structures involved in hormone secretion. Source: |
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