According to the first study to evaluate factors associated with post-heart attack weight changes, overweight people lose virtually no weight after suffering a heart attack, a recent article in Reuters Health reported.

The study’s author said that following a heart attack, patients reduced their body weight by less than a half a percentage point on average.

People typically need to lose at least 5 percent of their body weight to significantly improve their heart health.

The study followed up with 1,253 overweight or obese individuals one year after they had experienced a heart attack. On average, they had lost 0.2 percent of their body weight. Overweight people actually gained an average of 0.4 percent of their body weight, while obese people lost 0.5 percent and morbidly obese individuals lost nearly 4 percent.

People who were depressed put on more weight, as did people who quit smoking after their heart attack.
Individuals without health insurance were also more likely to put on pounds.

Just 18 percent to 25 percent of the study patients participated in a certified cardiac rehabilitation program in the first month after their heart attack.

These programs, which focus on helping people increase activity, eat better, quit smoking and make other lifestyle changes to improve cardiovascular health, are considered vital to post-heart attack care, but not everyone has access to them.

When certified cardiac rehabilitation programs are available, he added, they’re often underused. If you have recently recovered from a heart attack, please contact your IBD representative to discuss all of the rehabilitation options you have available.

Tags: Healthy Living //