What are the effects of obesity on the heart?
The more you weigh, the more blood you have flowing through your body. The increased amount of blood means more blood has to be pumped from the heart with each beat. This makes the heart work harder. The heart stretches and expands. The extra work makes the heart muscle thicker. The thicker the heart muscle gets, the harder it is for it to both squeeze (contract) and relax. Over time, the heart may not be able to keep up with the load. Heart failure may be the result. Obese people often have high blood pressure. High blood pressure makes the heart work harder. The heart muscle gets even thicker because of the increased pressure. High blood pressure may be lowered by losing weight. Lowering your blood pressure and losing weight can also help your heart work better. You may also need to take blood pressure medicine or heart medicine to help. Many obese people feel short of breath when they lie down because having a large abdomen keeps the lungs from having enough room to fill up with air
