Abdominal Obesity Leads To High Blood Pressure, Diabetes and Heart Disease
Obesity is closely associated with high blood pressure, diabetes and coronary heart disease. All four are also, largely, life style diseases. Abdominal obesity is known to lead to the triad of hypertension (high blood pressure), dyslipidemia (abnormal blood fats and cholesterol levels) and type-2 diabetes. This triad leads to coronary heart disease.
Genetically, Indians are proven to be more prone to diabetes and heart disease. Our modern urban lifestyle has also become a fertile soil for the generation of the above diseases.
Excessive accumulation of fat in the abdomen is associated with high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, high serum triglycerides levels and low serum high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. Having a clustering of three of these five conditions is called the metabolic syndrome and it is closely associated with development of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
In abdominal obesity the fat lies around the intestines and other organs within the abdominal cavity.
So it is also called the visceral obesity.
This fat lies deep in the abdomen and can be seen and measured but cannot be pinched.
Researchers say that fat and particularly visceral fat appears to be biologically active and works like an endocrine gland and produces some hormones and other substances those disturb the normal balance of our normal hormonal systems, although the role of these hormones are still being studied by researchers.
This fat also produces certain chemicals including cytokines which increase our blood pressure, cause insulin resistance, increase the tendency to cause blood clots, coronary heart disease, and strokes.
One reason for this could be the fact that this fat lies in the close vicinity of the portal vein which carries blood from the intestines to liver. This allows the free fatty acids and the other chemicals produced by this fat to be transported to the liver and they alter the normal levels of the lipids in our blood.
Presence of excess abdominal fat leads to hypertension, high blood sugar, total cholesterol and low density lipid (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides and lowers the good high density lipid (HDL) cholesterol, leading to diabetes, heart disease and strokes.
Presence of abdominal obesity increases the incidence of breast cancer and cholecystitis in women.
People with abdominal obesity and some of the above conditions have been especially vulnerable to the COVID infection and have succumbed in large numbers during the pandemic.
Metabolic syndrome:
Presence of abdominal obesity, also called upper body obesity or apple shaped obesity together with hypertension, diabetes and heart disease are also called metabolic syndrome, which has been a hot topic of medical research for some time now.
Wikipedia describes metabolic syndrome as:
Metabolic syndrome is a clustering of at least three of the following five medical conditions: abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high serum triglycerides, and low serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
As all the conditions discussed above are largely life style diseases, improved life style can take care of obesity management and prevent, reverse or control diabetes and heart disease.
Hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, prediabetes, fatty liver, PCOD and acanthosis nigricans could be associated with metabolic syndrome.
What you need to do is to lead a healthier lifestyle, inclusive of excellent nutrition, adequate exercises (with major emphasis on cardiovascular exercises) and sufficient rest and be mentally peaceful and happy. This will help you slim down and protect you from diabetes and heart disease.
So be prepared to accept a healthier lifestyle and become mentally peaceful and happy to truly become slim and healthy!
Also read the articles the ‘Diseases Associated With Obesity‘ and ‘Simple Steps To Slimming‘. All our contact details are available on the ‘Contact Us’ page of this website.