Slim Fast : Weight Management E-newsletter

Vol. 2, No 4, November 2007

Enlarged Heart Linked to Excess Pounds
The University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center found that excessive body weight is associated with a thickening of the heart muscle in the left ventricle, the heart’s pumping chamber. The condition, known as left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), can lead to heart failure and rhythm problems. Researchers also found that LVH was more noticeable in obese patients who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or greater. Findings were shared at the 18th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Society of Echocardio- graphy (ASE) in Seattle, Washington.		Source: Medical News Today (June 22, 2007)

Source:
Reuters Health (July 5, 2007)

Risk of Colon Cancer Increases With Body Weight

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology (July, 2007) that for men, the risk of colon cancer increases with body weight in a nearly linear manner. And for women, the risk is more variable but still increases with body weight, particularly for those younger than age 67.

Men who were overweight with a BMI of 25 to less than 27.5 had a 22 percent increased risk of developing colon cancer, compared to men of normal weight. Obese men with a BMI of 40 or more had a greater than 100% risk. For obese women with a BMI of 30 to 32.5, 32.5 to less than 35, and 35 to less than 40, the risk of colon cancer was 28%, 13%, and 46% higher, respectively, relative to normal weight women.


	Obesity and Pancreatic Cancer
	In The International Journal of Cancer (May 1, 2007), a review of published studies suggests that a higher BMI is associated with an increased risk for developing pancreatic cancer. Researchers analyzed 21 studies of 3,500,000 subjects and 8,062 people with pancreatic cancer. “A positive association between BMI and pancreatic cancer risk is biologically plausible,” noted researchers from the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. They also reported that this may be a reflection of increased type 2 diabetes in people with high BMIs. Other studies have suggested a link between pancreatic cancer and long-standing diabetes.		Source: Reuters Health (May 4, 2007)

Waist-to-Hip Ratio and Heart Disease

When it comes to early signs of heart disease, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is a better indicator than body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference (WC) alone according to a report in The Journal of American College of Cardiology (August 6, 2007). Investigators from the University of Texas southwestern Medical Center in Dallas used records from the Dallas Heart Study, an ongoing research project evaluating risk factors for heart disease. Participants were scanned using electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) and MRI scans. The scientists found that WHR was independently linked to increased arterial plaque whereas no independent positive association was found for BMI or WC.

Source:
Reuters Health (February 23, 2007)