Being obese physically changes structure of your heart
New research shows how being obese plays a part in weakening your heart
Obesity can weaken the structure of the heart, according to new research looking into the link between a higher BMI and heart failure.
The recent study showed that people with a higher body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio had around a 30% increased risk of heart failure.
Scientists at Queen Mary University of London, in collaboration with the University of Southampton and the University of Oxford, looked at the heart scans of over 31,000 of the group and found that the hearts of obese people had undergone structural changes
Researchers find structural changes in the heart
The heart muscle in obese people was found to be thicker, had more signs of scarring and the main pumping chamber was weaker.
These changes to the heart make it more difficult to effectively pump blood around the body and could lead to heart failure.
The research, funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), was presented at the British Cardiovascular Society conference in Manchester.
Dr Zahra Raisi-Estabragh, from Queen Mary University of London, who supervised the study, said: "We already know that obesity increases the risk of heart and circulatory diseases that can go on to cause heart failure."
"But now we have revealed that obesity itself could be a driver of hearts starting to fail."
"Further research could provide new insights into the biological mechanisms through which obesity leads to poorer heart health."
Professor James Leiper, associate medical director at the BHF, said: "This research provides new evidence of the link between obesity and heart failure and forms the basis of further research to understand the mechanisms underpinning the connection between obesity and changes to the heart's anatomy."