Obesity tied to heart risk factors after stroke

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In a study of Stroke survivors, being overweight or obese was associated with an increase in Heart Disease risk factors, such as diabetes or High Blood Pressure, according to a report in the Archives of Neurology.

The African American Antiplatelet Stroke Prevention Study, led by Dr. Sean Ruland at the University of Illinois at Chicago, enrolled 1,711 patients about 45 days after they experienced a stroke. Overall, 76 percent of patients were overweight, including many who were classified as obese.

In men and women, the likelihood of having diabetes or High Blood Pressure rose as body weight increased. Moreover, in men, but not women, increasing body weight raised the risk of High cholesterol levels.

The heaviest subjects were nearly three times more likely to have diabetes or High Blood Pressure than their normal weight peers. Being overweight or obese doubled the risk of metabolic syndrome, a disorder that includes poor insulin sensitivity and other problems.

Further studies are needed to determine if a structured weight loss program can help eliminate these risk factors in overweight stroke patients, Ruland’s group states.

SOURCE: Archives of Neurology, March 2005.

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