Underweight people at elevated risk of heart diseases
Overview
Most people assume that heart diseases and blood vessel disease only threaten the overweight and obese people. However, the cardiovascular disease or a heart disease is influenced by a lot of factors other than excessive weight. A person is classified as underweight of his or her BMI value is less than 18.5. Lack of body weight could be caused due to malnutrition, genetics or infection.
Always remember that overweight and obesity are not the only conditions which causes the cardiovascular disease. Instead it is usually caused by an unhealthy lifestyle characterized by smoking, a high intake of fat and salt that give rise to the high blood pressure, a lack of physical activity and fat depositis around the veins and the heart.
Skinny people at risk
As per most recent studies, underweight people also suffer with heart diseases and they are at greater risk than those with a normal BMI. As per a study in Bali, underweight people are 3.6 times more likely to experience the heart diseases as compared to those people who have normal weight. If the coronary artery is affected, the underweight individuals are at higher risk of an early death than those who are either of the normal weight, overweight or obese.
The research fro 2013 shows that women with heart diseases or the coronary artery disease are twice as likely to die early as their healthy counterparts. It also shows that the risk of death related to the heart disease or the coronary artery for overweight individuals who are not in the process to gain weight drops by 64 percent. Meanwhile, underweight people who are still loosing weight are at greater risk of death due to heart disease or the coronary artery diseases.
Causes of cardiovascular disease in underweight people
The following are the major causes of cardiovascular disease or a heart disease in underweight people:
Low level of hemoglobin serum
One of the conditions which cause the heart disease or the cardiovascular disease or a heart disease is the lack of haemoglobin (Hb) serum. This condition is higher in people who are underweight. In the 2015 research in Ethiopia, the Hb level can significantly affect the heart failure and that a normal level of Hb serum will reduce the risk of heart failure by 23 percent.
Abdominal fat
A condition also known as the central obesity is not uncommon in individuals with low body weight. When compared to the evenly distributed fat, people having fat around the abdomen are at greater risk of a cardiovascular disease or a heart disease than those with regular obesity.
Low body fat with unhealthy eating habit
It is easier to have a low body fat and have unhealthy eating habits as well. The underweight people tend to not worry about consuming the fast foods and fail to strike a balance. Although this may not immediately be seen in their body, but they still have an elevated blood sugar level.
Lack of physical activity
There is a huge tendency for no physical activity in people who are underweight. Physical activity is one of the ways to reduce the risk of heart diseases or the cardiovascular diseases. A lack of physical activity among the underweight people can cause fat deposition in their blood which will eventually lead to the heart diseases or the cardiovascular diseases.
Congenital heart disease
A congenital heart disease is often indicated by a low heart functioning due to the disorder of the valve’s wall and or heart’s arteries. As per the research, people with congenital heart diseases and those having lower body weight are 12 times more likely to be at a higher risk for a cardiovascular disease or a heart disease.
Final Verdict
The body weight is not the only cause for the cardiovascular diseases or a heart disease. There are several other factors such as diet, physical activities and your overall body health which needs to be considered for maintaining a healthy heart and blood vessels, regardless of your body weight- whether you are underweight, normal weight or overweight. It is therefore necessary to talk with your doctor about the better lifestyle choices for keeping the heart diseases at bay.