Your heart is like your body’s fuel pump, making sure oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood flows to other organs and tissues so you can function well. A range of factors, including your body weight, can impact just how well your heart does its job.
The expert team at Macomb Medical Clinic in Sterling Heights, Michigan, led by Dr. Mark S. Rosenberg, provides medical weight management, diagnostic screenings, and preventive care to help keep your weight and your cardiovascular health in a positive place.
Here’s a look at how being underweight or overweight can endanger your heart, plus ways to turn these scenarios around.
If your weight drops, stays, or yo-yos below a healthy range, your heart health can plummet. Whether you’re underweight due to restrictive eating, low appetite, or a medical condition, you can easily develop nutrient deficiencies.
Lacking essential nutrients, like B-vitamins, vitamin D, and iron, can lead to a weak heart muscle, arterial damage, and low blood pressure.
A low body weight can also make way for:
If your weight drops extremely low, due to anorexia or crash dieting, you can develop bradycardia, in which your heart muscle shrinks and your heart rate slows.
Severely restricting calories or macronutrients, such as carbohydrates, may raise your risk for chest pain, heart attack, and stroke.
Over 70% of Americans are overweight or obese, and both conditions are linked with poor cardiovascular health.
When you’re overweight, you’re more likely to have high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which keep blood from flowing normally through your arteries. If leading a sedentary lifestyle has increased your body weight, your odds of poor circulation are even higher.
Other heart-related conditions associated with being overweight include:
These risks are especially high if excess fat has gathered around your abdomen. That’s the case whether you’re overweight or not.
Whether you’re underweight or overweight, professional support helps get you on a healthy track that supports your heart. At Macomb Medical Clinic, we offer nutritional counseling to take the guesswork out of a healthy diet, so you follow one that suits your specific needs.
Other steps we may recommend include:
Our team can also diagnose and treat any underlying condition, such as thyroid disease, diabetes, or Crohn's disease, that may be impacting your weight or nutrient absorption.
To learn more about weight challenges and heart health or to get started with personalized support, contact our office today.
