Why Obesity Can Cause a Heart Attack?

Medical Video: Obesity Length And Heart Disease

Obesity or obesity is characterized by an increase in fat tissue in the area under the skin, stomach and peripherals (the ends of the body). Obesity is now a scourge for modern society, especially urban communities. The development of science has caused people to become aware of the dangers posed by obesity. In addition to the appearance of being less attractive, there is a threatening threat of disease behind it, call it diabetes mellitus, stroke, and the most frightening is a heart attack.

Heart attacks that were only suffered by old people, are now beginning to threaten the younger generation, who are still intensively creating and expressing themselves. Changes in lifestyle, both diet, physical activity, and stress levels are the main causes of obesity that carry deadly heart attacks.

However, why can obesity cause the potential for a heart attack to increase? There is some reasons, American Heart Association (AHA) summarizes it in the following explanation.

Changes in flow requirements to fat tissue

Fat tissue has a blood flow of about 2-3 ml / 100 grams / minute in resting conditions, and can increase up to 10 times (for example after eating). In obesity, there is an increase in the amount of fat tissue so that blood flow to fat tissue is reduced. This is due to an imbalance of initial blood flow vs. the amount of fat. To overcome this, there is an increase in blood flow coming out of the heart (cardiac output /CO), with the aim of fulfilling the metabolic needs of fat tissue.

Enlargement of parts of the heart

This increase in blood flow out of the heart is mainly achieved by increasing the ability of the heart to pump. The left side of the heart, especially the ventricles, will expand, the goal is to compensate for the increase in back blood flow that enters the heart, resulting in enlargement of the left ventricle to maintain wall stress normal one. The other part of the heart, the left atrium, will also experience widening in obese people. At first, the heart still feels fine until the enlargement limit is not tolerable anymore. This enlargement causes the ability of the heart pump to weaken. Weak pumps cause blood flow to decrease and not according to network requirements.

Fat causes inflammation in the body's blood vessels

Fat tissue (adipose) consists of adipocyte cells. Adipocytes produce compounds that not only play a role in metabolic processes such as regulation of energy, appetite, insulin sensitivity, and regulation of body fat, but also play a role in regulating blood pressure, coagulation (blood clotting), immunity, and inflammatory processes.

The relationship between obesity and inflammation is seen with an increase in pro-inflammatory compounds and a decrease in anti-inflammatory mediators. Increased fat tissue in the abdomen releases free fatty acids to the circulation. These free fatty acids can cause damage along the blood vessels, including blood vessels of the heart.

Increased oxidative stress and decreased anti-oxidant body

Another factor that also plays a role in causing heart attacks in obese people, is oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is mediated by highly reactive and destructive compounds named reactive oxygen species (ROS). When ROS enters into bad fat (LDL) in the blood vessels, fat crusts occur, as an initial sign of atherosclerosis. The more fat the crust, the more narrow blood vessels and eventually the blood vessels become blocked.

Fat crust also reduces the production of nitric oxide (NO) which is the body's natural anti-oxidant. This lack of antioxidants eventually causes blood vessels to become damaged. Damaged blood vessels make it easier for "stuck" fat to form larger fat crusts. ROS will actually be eaten by anti-oxidants, but in situations where antioxidants are low as in obese people, the remainder of ROS will cause oxidative stress that damages the body.

Fat can make blood vessels automatically narrow

In obese individuals there is an increase Perivascular Adipose Tissue (PAT) at the ends of the body. From the results of the study, it was proven that PAT has a function of regulating microcirculation which then plays a role in blood pressure. With the increase in PAT in obese individuals, there is an increase in production of compounds that affect signals to regulate blood vessel muscles. Blood vessels automatically narrow and blood pressure increases.

Well, the combination of blood vessel damage - fat crust - narrowing of blood vessels - also heart pump failure are factors that make obese people more prone to heart attacks. This heart attack can be asymptomatic, and can occur in a short time. People who previously looked healthy could die suddenly. Therefore, let's limit your intake of food, increase exercise, and adjust your stress so that the things above don't happen. Life is healthier for the body that is more ideal so that a heart attack can be avoided.