查看文章

Because obesity is a cardiovascular risk factor but is associated with a more favorable prognosis among cohorts of cardiac patients, we assessed this “obesity paradox” in overweight and obese patients with coronary heart disease enrolled in a cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training (CRET) program, making this assessment in patients classified as overweight/obese using both traditional body mass index (BMI) and percent body fat assessments. Additionally, we assessed the efficacy and safety of purposeful weight loss in overweight and obese coronary patients.

We retrospectively studied 529 consecutive CRET patients following major coronary events before and after CRET, and compared baseline and post program data in 393 overweight and obese patients (body mass index [BMI] ≥25 kg/m²) divided by median weight change (median=−1.5%; mean +2% vs −5 …