Obesity and Diabetes Double the Risk of Heart Failure
Author: European Society of Cardiology
Published: 2009/05/31 - Updated: 2026/02/14
Publication Type: Research, Study, Analysis
Category Topic: Medical Research - Related Publications
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates
Synopsis: This research, presented at Heart Failure Congress 2009 and published by the European Society of Cardiology, examines how obesity and type 2 diabetes each double the risk of developing heart failure. The findings are drawn from the work of Professor John McMurray, a leading cardiologist at the Western Infirmary in Glasgow and President of the Heart Failure Association, giving the information strong clinical authority. The article details how roughly one-third of heart failure patients show evidence of diabetes and explains the direct and indirect pathways through which obesity damages heart muscle and function. This is particularly relevant for people living with diabetes, obesity, or existing cardiovascular conditions, as well as seniors and individuals with disabilities who may face elevated risks and benefit from understanding how these conditions interact - Disabled World (DW).
Introduction
Obesity and Diabetes Double Risk of Heart Failure
The twin epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes will continue to fuel an explosion in heart failure, already the world's most prevalent chronic cardiovascular disease, according to John McMurray, professor of cardiology at the Western Infirmary, Glasgow, and President of the Heart Failure Association.
He reported that around one-third of patients with heart failure have evidence of diabetes, and for them the outlook is very serious. For doctors, he added, effective treatment is "very difficult".
Main Content
Obesity, like diabetes, is increasing in prevalence. The latest report from Euroaspire, Europe's largest survey of cardiovascular risk factors in coronary patients, found that the prevalence of obesity had increased from 25 percent in 1997 to 38 percent in just ten years - and this in people who had already had at least one heart attack.
Now, a session at Heart Failure 2009 emphasis's that obesity is not just associated with an increased risk of heart attack, but also - and especially - with an increased risk of heart failure.
"Obesity is at least as great a risk factor for heart failure as it is for heart attack or stroke," says Professor McMurray. "Obesity more than doubles the risk."
The pathways by which obesity plays such a role in heart failure are not yet fully understood, but have been shown to have an indirect effect via hypertension, or heart attack, or diabetes - and a direct effect on the heart muscle itself.
"We know that the underlying changes in the structure and function of the heart may be different in obese and non-obese patients with heart failure," says Professor McMurray.
An even more "intriguing" suggestion, he added, is that adipose cells might act as an endocrine tissue, secreting substances which may have a harmful effect on heart tissue and blood vessels.
The relationship between diabetes and heart failure is also a subject of investigation, with the risk of heart failure doubled in diabetics. Heart failure patients with diabetes also have worse symptoms, a higher risk of hospitalization and a greater risk of death than those without diabetes - suggesting that the underlying pathophysiology of heart failure may be different in diabetics and non-diabetics. Professor McMurray also notes an "intersection" of the two conditions by which those with diabetes have a higher risk of heart failure, and those with heart failure have a higher risk of diabetes.
"But whichever is the causative factor," he adds, "it's very bad news for those with both conditions."
References
Heart failure, obesity and diabetes. 31 May, 11.00-12.30.
Heart Failure Congress 2009 is organized by the European Society of Cardiology and Heart Failure Association of the ESC, and takes place from 30 May to 2 June at the Palais Acropolis, Nice, France.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: The connection between obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart failure described in this research underscores a growing clinical challenge that has only intensified in the years since these findings were first presented. With obesity rates continuing to climb across most developed nations and diabetes diagnoses following the same trajectory, the downstream pressure on heart failure prevalence remains a serious public health concern. Professor McMurray's observation that patients with both obesity and diabetes are especially difficult to treat points to a gap that medicine has yet to fully close. For individuals managing any one of these conditions, the research serves as a grounded reminder that these health risks do not exist in isolation - they compound one another, making early intervention and ongoing management all the more critical - Disabled World (DW).Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by European Society of Cardiology and published on 2009/05/31, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.