A decade of obesity can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Specifically, excess weight that cannot be shed during this period is linked to a 60 percent increase in the likelihood of heart attacks and strokes, affecting both men and women approaching the age of 50.

Timely treatment of obesity, which is considered a disease, can help prevent these issues. This is the view of Alexander Turchin, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA.

What Scientists Discovered

Professor Turchin and his team, which included researchers from a pharmaceutical company, analyzed data from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS), both conducted in the U.S. during the late 20th century.

In total, 109,259 women and 27,239 men participated, with an average age of 48.6 years and a body mass index (BMI) of 27 at the start of the study.

The team focused on participants whose BMI exceeded 25 (a figure already classified as obesity) over a 10-year period from 1990 to 1999. The researchers aimed to understand how a person’s weight would affect the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke over the following 20 years (2000-2020).

During the study period, 6,862 individuals showed plaque buildup in their arteries, and 3,587 were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Additionally, 65,101 participants reported that they were regular smokers, according to the Independent.

Follow-up observations in 2020 revealed that both cohorts experienced 12,048 cardiovascular events, including heart attacks, strokes, and related deaths.

Key Findings

The researchers reported that women under 50 years old face a 60 percent higher risk of heart attack or stroke if they live with obesity for 10 years. For men, the increased risk of developing such health issues is about 57 percent.

The study also confirmed that short-term obesity is not associated with an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Professor Alexander Turchin considers these results extremely important, as they demonstrate that the earlier a person begins to address obesity, the better their health outcomes will be.