Weight management can make a big difference for HCM patients. That’s not just something cardiologists say to lecture you.

A 2020 paper, Association of Obesity With Adverse Long-term Outcomes in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy , provides some insight. This study by a group of leading HCM researchers from three countries examines the health consequences of body weight in nearly 3300 HCM patients.

The scientists used the SHARE (Sarcomeric Human Cardiomyopathy Registry), a database relating patient genetic test results to their health. SHARE was established by eight HCM centers (in Brazil, Italy, Netherlands, and the USA).

The results are clear. Those with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 developed afib at about 1.4 times the rate of those with “normal” BMI. They were about 1.9 times more likely to develop heart failure. These patterns hold true even after the researchers controlled for age, sex, obstruction, and genotype.

Carrying too much weight puts us at risk of serious heart problems. This is a powerful reason to start a weight loss program!

Source: JAMA Cardiol. 2020;5(1):65-72. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2019.4268

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