Protect Your Heart: The Surprising Link Between Weight and Heart Health

When you think about heart health, your cholesterol, blood pressure, and family history might come to mind. While these factors are important, your body weight plays a powerful, and often underestimated, role in how well your heart functions. 

At Eastside Bariatric & General Surgery, surgeon Aliu O. Sanni, MD, and our team are here to help you understand this connection and to help you make informed choices that support both your heart and overall health.

How extra weight can affect your heart

Carrying excess weight, especially around your midsection, increases the workload on your heart. Your heart must pump harder to circulate blood, which can strain your cardiovascular system. 

Extra weight is also closely tied to conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes, which are all major risk factors for heart disease. These issues often develop gradually, sometimes without noticeable symptoms, making prevention especially important.

How small weight changes can grant big heart benefits

One of the most encouraging things to know is that you don’t have to overhaul your entire life to see real benefits. Losing just 5-10% of your body weight can lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol, and support healthier blood sugar levels.

When you make these small shifts, you take pressure off your heart, which reduces your cardiovascular risk. And you can do it without drastic diets or extreme lifestyle changes.

The inflammation connection

Excess body fat doesn’t just sit there storing energy. It can actively release inflammatory substances that irritate your blood vessels. The ongoing inflammation can damage your artery walls and encourage plaque buildup, raising your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Do your best to maintain a healthy weight. It will help calm the inflammation, protect your arteries, and support smoother, more efficient circulation throughout your body.

How to build heart-healthy habits

Effective weight management isn’t about crash diets or being perfect. It’s about steady, consistent habits.

Move your body regularly, whether it’s walking, cycling, swimming, or strength training. These activities can help your heart stay strong while supporting a healthy weight. 

What you eat matters just as much. Enjoy meals full of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats to give your body the fuel it needs and help protect your heart.

Sleep and stress play a role, too. When you don’t get enough rest or deal with constant stress, the hormones that control your appetite and metabolism can get out of balance, making it harder to maintain a healthy heart and weight.

Why you shouldn’t focus only on the scale’s number

Weight is only one piece of your heart health. Two people at the same weight may have very different risk profiles depending on lifestyle, genetics, and metabolic health. 

That’s why focusing on your overall wellness (not just the scale) often leads to better outcomes and more sustainable results.

Your next steps

Your heart works hard for you every day. Consider partnering with us if you’re ready to make strides toward overall good health. 

Even while practicing heart-healthy habits, you may benefit from Dr. Sanni’s guidance. He can help you explore the best weight loss approach for your specific needs, whether that includes semaglutide injections, bariatric surgery, or another personalized option.

Schedule a visit today at our Snellville, Georgia, office to discover a plan tailored for you, and experience our commitment to support you every step of the way. Call 201-565-0876, or click here to book online now.