Obesity adds to risk of death after stroke

Obesity increases the risk of death after stroke in younger stroke patients, according to a new study.

Dr. Amytis Towfighi, of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and Dr. Bruce Ovbiagele of the University of California, Los Angeles used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) on 20,050 adults.

Of those adults, 547 had a stroke through 2000 and had weight records available. Of these, 211 were classified as overweight, and 127 were obese.

Over an average of 14 years after their strokes, overweight and obesity contributed to a higher risk of death in younger stroke survivors, but in fact seemed to protect against death in the elderly.

“Younger obese stroke patients…may benefit from timely comprehensive interventions aimed at promoting weight loss,” Towfighi told Reuters Health.

SOURCE: Stroke, August 2009.

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