9781422288450

the heart to contract properly. This condition is known as left ventricular hypertrophy , and it is potentially fatal. Another fatal condition, heart fail- ure, in which the heart can no longer pump enough blood to meet body demands, can also result. Structural changes in the heart, though well understood, are not the only ways that excess weight contributes to cardiovascular diseases. There are numerous theories regarding the other, less-understood ways in which excess weight affects the cardiovascular system. For example, people who carry their excess weight around their stomachs are at a higher risk of

The Silent Killer: High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease / 47