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The link between heart disease and obesity

March 4, 2021

Obesity has an impact on the quality of life, but it can also make you more at risk for life-threatening diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. February is National American Heart Month. It’s a good idea to review the link between obesity and heart disease, review your heart health, and make any necessary changes.

High blood pressure

Obesity is associated with a rise in blood pressure. That’s because individuals with obesity need more blood to supply the body with oxygen and nutrients. This requires more pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension can increase your likelihood of having a heart attack. It may also lead to an enlarged left ventricle and increase your risk of heart failure.

High cholesterol

Not only does obesity make you more likely to have high levels of bad cholesterol—including triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL cholesterol)—it may also lower your levels of good cholesterol. High-density lipoprotein (or HDL cholesterol) is important. It actively works to reduce your levels of bad cholesterol and lower your risk of heart disease.

Type-2 diabetes

Individuals with obesity are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, which is the impaired ability to tolerate glucose. In turn, type 2 diabetes is associated with an increased risk for developing heart disease. In fact, it’s reported that individuals with type 2 diabetes are “two to four times more likely to develop heart failure than someone without diabetes.”  You can learn more about diabetes and heart disease in our blog here.

Am I at risk?

Are you worried that you might be at risk for developing heart disease? A quick way to determine if you are at risk because of your weight is to check your body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.  A BMI above 25.0 for adults is a sign that you may be overweight. A higher waist circumference is associated with more abdominal fat. If your waist circumference is above 35 as a woman or above 40 as a man, you may be at risk of developing heart disease.

If you are worried about your heart disease risk, talk to your doctor.

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Important Lap-Band® System Safety Information

The ReShape Lap-Band Systems are approved for adults with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or higher, or a BMI of at least 30 with health conditions related to obesity, who have not seen success with other weight loss methods, like supervised diet, exercise, and behavior modification programs. Choosing this surgery means committing to changes in eating habits for the long term.

The Lap-Band procedure is not approved for individuals under 18 yo, those with conditions that may make them poor surgical candidates or lead to poor results, such as inflammatory or cardiopulmonary diseases, problems with the stomach and digestion, symptoms or family history of autoimmune disease, scarring of the liver, individuals unable or unwilling to follow the necessary dietary restrictions, individuals with alcohol or drug addictions, or those currently pregnant. Individuals who become pregnant after band placement may require deflation of their bands.

The ReShape Lap-Band Systems, a long-term tool, may need to be adjusted if you get pregnant, sick, or malnourished. Be careful with anti-inflammatory drugs as they could make the band wear away. Like any surgery, placement of the Lap-Band may have complications such as risks from drugs and methods used, general surgery risks, how well your body handles a foreign object, or in rare cases, risk of death.

As with any surgical procedure, there are risks associated with metabolic and bariatric surgery that you and your doctor should discuss. Potential risks associated with the Lap-Band include nausea, vomiting, heartburn, stomach blockage, constipation, swallowing difficulty, diarrhea, abnormal stools, abdominal pain, weakness, incision pain, infection, fever, hernia, chest pain, band movement, stomach pouch expansion, unusual healing, pain at the port site, port movement, and/or hair loss. Additional surgery might be needed. Losing weight quickly could lead to complications requiring more surgery. 

Talk to your doctor, and/or visit our website at www.lapband.com/safety/ for more information on its benefits and risks.

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