What is the association between obesity, body size and fat distribution with coronary heart disease risk?
Several studies have shown a correlation between obesity, body size and fat distribution with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. A study by Rimm et al. (1995) found that body size and fat distribution were predictors of coronary heart disease in middle-aged and older men. Additionally, Jacobs et al. (2010) found that higher waist circumference was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality in a large US cohort. McTigue et al. (2006) reported that extremely obese women had increased mortality and cardiovascular outcomes. Conversely, Gruberg et al. (2002) reported that obesity had a protective effect on short-term and long-term outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention, a phenomenon known as the obesity paradox. Overall, there is an association between obesity, body size and fat distribution with an increased risk of coronary heart disease.  