Fluctuating weight could put heart patients at risk, says study!

(Image for representational purposes only)

New Delhi: Losing weight for those who suffer from heart ailments is full of trials and tribulations in comparison to those who don't.

There are so many things for a heart patient to keep in mind while on their weight loss journey, apart from being overweight.

Unfortunately, the journey to weight loss isn't exactly a linear one. It has a lot of ups and downs with numerous fluctuations.

These repeated fluctuations, losing and then regaining weight, may be dangerous for overweight heart patients, a study has suggested.

Heart attacks, strokes and death were more common in patients whose weight changed the most over four years.

Researchers may have also found a hint of yo-yo dieting reflected in weight changes, which some previous studies have suggested may be unhealthy for people without heart problems.

That means a hefty but stable weight might be healthier than losing but repeatedly regaining extra pounds.

The team of researchers studied big weight fluctuations in heart patients, which they believe could have been unintentional and/or a potential sign of a serious illness that would be self-explanatory.

Doctors outside the framework of the study found the research interesting, however, they felt that it gave no solid evidence determining that "yo-yo" weight changes are risky for overweight heart patients.

According to an Associated Press report, the study was an analysis of about 9,500 patients involved in a different study that didn't examine reasons for weight changes. Weight was measured an average of 12 times over four years and some patients lost and regained several pounds in between each measurement.

It was published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.