Relationship of Obesity to Coronary Disease and Hypertension

For many years, the relationship between obesity and heart disease and hypertension has presented a challenging problem. The physiological effects of obesity on the normal heart and its harmful influences on the diseased heart are well established. 1 Statistics compiled by insurance companies have shown conclusively that overweight alone is injurious and shortens life. 2 In middle and later life the lowest mortality ratios were observed in those whose weight was below the average for age. 3 There is overwhelming evidence, also, that obese persons have a much higher mortality rate from heart disease than those of average or lower weight. The difference has been as high as 60% for men who are 25% or more overweight. 4 There have been few clinical studies on a possible etiological relationship between obesity and coronary disease and hypertension, and the results reported have been conflicting. The problem of the relationship of obesity