Obese women have thicker carotid artery walls, higher s...( r other risk factors such as age bloo...),Health

Women with BMI of 30 kilograms per meter squared (kg/m2) or greater had higher blood pressure, triglycerides, glucose, and insulin and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL, the "good" cholesterol.)

A gradual increase in IMT was found with increasing weight. Lean women (23.0 BMI) had an average IMT of 0.94 millimeters (mm), overweight women (27.2 BMI) had an average of 0.98 mm and obese women (33.8 BMI) had an average of 1.02 mm. IM was 20 mm for lean women, 21 for overweight women and 23 for obese women.

Women with high waist-to-hip ratios also had higher triglycerides, glucose and insulin and decreased HDL. The wall thickness measurements were higher for women with higher waist- to-hip ratios.

Hence, BMI and waist-to-hip ratio were significant predictors of carotid wall thickness, independent of other risk factors. Researchers conclude that general and abdominal obesity are associated with carotid artery wall thickening in middle-aged women.

"Controlling blood pressure is not enough to prevent the cardiovascular damage from being overweight," Rubba says. "Doctors should face the difficult challenge of encouraging patients to lose weight to prevent premature atherosclerosis and stroke. With the information in this study, women also should be aware of further health implications if they don't reduce their weight."

The study suggests that ultrasound screening in obese women may help identify those at high risk and those who may require aggressive therapy to prevent early atherosclerosis, he says. By seeing the early warning signs, women and their doctors might be better motivated to aggressively treat obesity and the benefits of their efforts might be evident in follow-up evaluations years later.

Future studies should focus on whether atherosclerosis in obese women progresses faster than in women who are not obese, Rubba says.

'"/>

Contact: Carole Bullock
carole.bullock@heart.org
214-706-1279
American Heart Association
14-Nov-2002