The negative effects of excess body fat on heart health cannot be eliminated by maintaining an active lifestyle, according to a new study.
Previous studies have suggested that being physically active could alleviate the negative effects of being overweight on heart health, but this is not the case, according to a new study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). ).
"This was the first nationwide analysis to show that being active regularly is unlikely to eliminate the harmful health effects of excess body fat," study author Alejandro Lucia, a professor of exercise physiology at European University, told CNN. of Madrid. "Our findings refute the idea that a physically active lifestyle can completely eliminate the harmful effects of overweight and obesity."
The researchers used data from 527,662 adults in Spain with a mean age of 42 years. They were placed in groups according to activity level and body weight: 42% of participants were of normal weight, with a body mass index (BMI) of 20-24.9; 41% were overweight, BMI 25-29.9; and 18% were obese, BMI 30 or above.
The researchers then looked at their cardiovascular health by categorizing them according to diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure, all major risk factors for stroke and heart attack.
After researching the links between BMI, activity level and risk factors, the researchers concluded that there is a greater cardiovascular risk for overweight and obese people compared to those with a normal weight, regardless of how much exercise they did.
"While controversy over the exact contribution of weight versus exercise to cardiovascular health is likely to continue, to maintain health and minimize the risk of cardiovascular disease, patients should pay attention to both: maintaining a healthy weight. healthy and being physically active, "said Dr. Anthony Rosenzeeig, head of the cardiology department at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Source: CNN
