Big Midsection May Increase Risk of Dying Suddenly (750 hits)
By Todd NealeNote that in this study, after multiple adjustments, the only measure of obesity that was associated with sudden cardiac death was waist-to-hip ratio.
May 10, 2012 BOSTON -- Carrying too much weight in the belly -- having an apple shape -- may increase the risk of sudden cardiac death, researchers found. In a cohort study, the risk of sudden cardiac death increased along with waist-to-hip ratio (P=0.009 for trend), according to Selcuk Adabag, MD, of the University of Minnesota and the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis.
After accounting for numerous obesity-related comorbidities, however, other measures of obesity -- body mass index and waist circumference -- were not related to the risk of sudden cardiac death, Adabag reported at the Heart Rhythm Society meeting here.
Obesity "is a root cause of problems," he said in an interview. "People, particularly physicians, need to be paying attention to weight gain and should actively work on reducing weight."
The findings of the current study could be Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Dorothy Caputo, MA, BSN, RN, Nurse Planner
