In a finding that will surprise few, investigators have found that excess weight and body fat are a likely cause of cardiovascular disease.
Extra pounds have long been associated with heart and blood vessel diseases, but a group of European researchers said they are the first to use a Mendelian randomization method to determine whether genetic disposition for high body mass index and fat mass can actually cause cardiovascular disease. In fact, their findings associated these factors with a risk of aortic valve stenosis and most other cardiovascular diseases, pointing to a causal relationship, they wrote. In addition, the risk of cardiovascular disease increased with the genetic variants predicting increases in fat mass.
Though the study looked at genetic predisposition, the study’s authors noted that diet and physical activity can help keep a person’s body mass index at a healthy level.
“Our genes can make us somewhat more predisposed to gain body weight but lifestyle factors, such as overeating and lack of physical activity, are the major determinants of overweight,” lead author Susanna Larsson, Ph.D., told the European Society of Cardiology. “People who are predisposed to a higher BMI may need to work a bit harder to maintain a healthy weight.”
