Obesity linked to better outcomes for heart failure patients

A study from the US has demonstrated that overweight people may actually be at less risk of suffering adverse outcomes from heart failure than slimmer patients.

Analysis carried out by the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) has found that both men and women with advanced heart failure experience better outcomes if they have higher body mass indexes and waist circumferences.

This conclusion was formed after studying data from more than 2,700 patients and supports the existence of the so-called "obesity paradox", whereby extra weight increases the risk of developing heart disease, but also offers protective benefits after it has manifested.

Potential explanations include the increased muscle mass heavier patients possess, as well as the additional metabolic reserves stored in the form of fatty tissues.

Dr Tamara Horwich, an assistant professor of cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, said: "Heart failure may prove to be one of the few health conditions where extra weight may prove to be protective."

Data from the NHS has suggested that nearly half of men and more than one-third of women in the UK will be obese by 2025.