An adult may acquire five pounds as they go through life. But adding five pounds may have consequences beyond making your clothes uncomfortable.
Even slim, healthy people can gain weight and raise blood pressure. This is especially true for abdominal fat accumulation.
The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, reported today at the American Heart Association's High Blood Pressure Researcher 2014 Scientific SessionsTrusted Source that belly fat was specifically linked to blood pressure rise.
Dr. Virend Somers, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist and research co-author, was surprised that even this small weight fluctuation affects blood pressure.
Cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke rise significantly with even a slight weight gain. Somers said these findings are relevant individually but multiply when more persons become overweight or obese.
Over eight weeks, researchers monitored 26 normal-weight 18–48-year-olds. Sixteen overate, while 10 maintained their weight. At the start and end of the trial, Mayo Clinic researchers measured participants' body composition with X-rays, abdomen scans, and blood pressure.
The weight-gain group ate 400–1,200 additional calories a day from ice cream shakes, chocolate bars, and energy drinks. After the trial, a 5 to 11-pound weight gain increased blood pressure but not cholesterol, insulin, or blood sugar.
These findings imply that even a few pounds in crucial regions like the belly might increase the risk of high blood pressure, which poses several heart health hazards.