"The balance of evidence suggests that, over the long-term, obesity imparts higher cardiovascular risk, even if metabolic abnormalities are not present at baseline," he said.
A researcher specializing in diabetes and metabolic syndrome also thinks the follow-up period in the study is too short to draw firm conclusions about whether certain obese people are protected from heart disease.
Dr. Tae-Hwa Chun, an assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan, said that "clearly we need to know why some overweight and obese individuals are protected from metabolic deterioration and increased cardiovascular risk."
This study suggests that identifying the genetic and molecular mechanism that underlies the deadly link between obesity and cardiovascular risk, which is selectively found in a subset of individuals, is more important than simply measuring body-mass index, Chun said.
"There is a caveat in this study, however, as the cardiovascular event rate is so low in the short follow-up period, the study may not possess enough statistical power to detect a potential difference in cardiovascular risk," he said.
More information
For more information on obesity and heart disease visit the American Heart Association.
SOURCES: Andre van Beek, M.D., Ph.D., of University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; Gregg C. Fonarow, M.D., professor, me
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