by 
Even when an obese person is metabolically healthy, he or she still faces a heightened chance of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to new information published online within the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
While previous studies have produced conflicting reports whether or not obese men and women can avoid hypertension, high sugar, low high-density lipoproteins (HDL) levels and other medical issues that enhance the risk of metabolic disease, researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas have discovered that even metabolically healthy people with high BMI might be unhealthy.
“Unfortunately, our findings suggest metabolically healthy obesity isn’t a benign condition,” corresponding author Dr. Carlos Lorenzo, explained Wednesday in a statement. “Regardless of the current metabolic health, people who are obese face a heightened chance of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes later on.”
Dr. Lorenzo and his colleagues reviewed data from the population-based San Antonio Heart Study (SAHS) to assess diabetes incidence in over 2,800 subjects and cardiovascular disease incidence in another 3,700 people. The SAHS study followed-up with participants for between six and 10 years.
They behind the newly-published analysis looked at whether or not there is a difference between normal weight individuals with a minimum of two metabolic conditions and metabolically-healthy obese people with regards to developing diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
In order to determine metabolic health, the research authors examined whether or not the participants had hypertension, elevated triglyceride and glucose levels, insulin resistance and decreased HDL cholesterol. Subjects were declared metabolically healthy when they had zero or only one of the aforementioned characteristics.
“The analysis found that increased body mass index was linked to a heightened chance of developing diabetes,” the Endocrine Society wrote. “Normal weight people who had multiple metabolic abnormalities also faced an increased chance of developing diabetes. Both groups faced an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease after taking into account demographics and smoking behavior.”
“Our data demonstrate the significance of continuing to watch for diabetes and cardiovascular disease both in individuals with metabolically healthy obesity and those who have metabolically abnormalities despite being a normal weight,” added Lorenzo. “If physicians and patients are too complacent about assessing risk, we can miss important possibilities to avoid the development of chronic and even deadly conditions.”
