ABSTRACT
Obesity is commonly cited as a risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease
(CHD). Epidemiologic studies tend to support this contention, particularly those focusing
on patients with central obesity. Such studies however, are imprecise and prone to
misclassification bias. Angiographic and post mortem studies have demonstrated little
or no correlation of total fat mass and coronary atherosclerosis except in those with
abdominal obesity. There is a strong association of obesity, particularly central
obesity, and traditional risk factors for CHD such as hypertension, type II diabetes
mellitus, and dyslipidemia. There may also be an association between obesity and several
nontraditional risk factors such as hyperhomocystinemia, elevated Lp(a) levels and
factors that increase thrombogenesis. Obesity may also alter endothelial function.
Weight loss, although associated with favorable modification of multiple risk factors
for CHD, has not been shown to independently and definitively reduce CHD risk.
KEY INDEXING TERMS
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© 2001 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
