It is already known that people who are overweight or obese have an increased risk of developing heart disease or suffering a stroke. However, controlling blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose in this population could significantly reduce these risks, a new study has shown.

International researchers analysed 97 studies from around the world and found that people carrying too much weight are at an increased risk of heart disease and stroke partly because their weight increases their chances of having high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and high blood glucose.

In fact, the study showed that these three factors explain as much as half of the increased risk of heart disease and three-quarters of the increased risk of stroke among overweight or obese people.

Of the three, blood pressure presents the biggest risk, accounting for 65% of the increased risk of stroke and 31% of the increased risk of heart disease.

"Our results show that the harmful effects of being overweight or obese on heart disease and stroke partly occur by increasing blood pressure, serum cholesterol and blood glucose. Therefore, if we control these risk factors, for example through better diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure, we can prevent some of the harmful effects of being overweight or obese," explained Prof Goodarz Danaei, of the Harvard School of Public Health in the US.

However, while controlling these three factors is ‘useful', this is still ‘not enough to offset the harms of overweight and obesity', commented Prof Majid Ezzati, of Imperial College London.

"So we need to need to find creative approaches that can curb and reverse the global obesity epidemic," he noted.

In fact, the researchers emphasised that even if these three factors are brought under control, an overweight or obese person is still at an increased risk of developing heart disease or suffering a stroke.

Details of these findings are published in medical journal, The Lancet.

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