A new study finds Obese people are more likely to survive heart operations than healthy and underweight people

According to a new study, obese people are more likely to survive after a heart operation. It is well established that obese people are primary victims of heart diseases. Even experts suggest being overweight increases the chances of developing heart disease. Doctors say that people with obesity are easiest targets to many other health complications. If a surgery has to be carried for obese people in case of any health complication doctors advice them to lose their weight. Doctors are of the opinion that surgery to an obese person suffering from heart disease reduces their survival rate. But the new study carried by the scientists of Leicester university found otherwise, they found overweight has a somewhat protective effect on the patients undergoing heart surgery.

Research Study

Researchers analyzed the records of 4,01,000 patients who underwent heart surgery between 2002 and 2013, out of which 11,511 patients died. Among them, patients with underweight have recorded the highest deaths (8.5%) followed by people with normal weight.(4.4%). Interestingly least deaths are recorded by obese patients (2.7%) followed by overweight patients (2.8%). The researchers also took into account other factors such as their age and other health complications of the patients.  

The results are quite surprising. They found that patients with a healthy weight are twice likely to die when compared with obese people. The highest risk of death was found in patients with lower weight. The research study is being funded by British Heart Foundation. In addition, the researchers have also analyzed the data of 5,57,200 patients spanning across Europe, United states and Asia, to their surprise similar results are seen. The study found that the other health complications like diabetes, high blood pressure and artery disease seem to play a protective role in obese people.

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Professor Gavin Murphy of the University of Leicester opined that overweight gives added protection to patients facing heart surgery and reduces the complications of death and obesity should not be a considered a risk factor to perform heart surgery. Further studies have to be carried out to know the mechanisms involved, which will aid in the increase of survival rates in normal and underweight patients after major heart surgery.

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