“Can gaining weight put me at risk for cardiac arrest?”
I am a 57 year old woman. I have just hit menopause last month and after a check up I realized that my thyroid levels are constantly increasing. I am gaining a lot of weight in spite of my diet and exercises. Does all of this put me at a risk of a sudden heart attack?
5 Answers
Indirectly it could be caused by hypertension, heart enlargement, metabolic syndrome, can lead to heart attack.
Not for awhile, so you have got time to get your thyroid and diet sorted out with no immediate worries. But in the long-term, yes: an underactive thyroid and being overweight does increase the risks quite a lot, so it's worthwhile having an exercise and diet plan (as well as thyroid replacement if required).
no
Weight is just one of several risk factors.
Being overweight may be associated with other risk factors that increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. My advice is to see your doctor and discuss your risk factors and any options you have to lower your chances for heart disease.
Being overweight may be associated with other risk factors that increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. My advice is to see your doctor and discuss your risk factors and any options you have to lower your chances for heart disease.
Julia G. Ansari
Cardiologist
Weight like multiple other risk factors such as diabetes, kidney disease, high blood pressure, and smoking increase the risk for coronary disease, but not necessarily everyone with obesity has coronary disease or is at a higher risk of sudden cardiac death. It is just recommended to keep working on diet and exercise and modify your risk factors.
