title: Risks and benefits of weight loss in heart failure.
abstract: Obesity adversely affects many cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and increases the risk of most CVD, including heart failure (HF). HF is markedly increased in the setting of obesity. However, obese patients with HF have a better prognosis than lean patients with HF, which has been termed the obesity paradox. Therefore, the role of weight loss, which generally improves ventricular structure, systolic and diastolic ventricular function, and New York Heart Association functional class in HF, remains controversial. This article discusses the pros and cons of weight loss and differentiates purposeful (healthy) from nonpurposeful (unhealthy) weight loss.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, Ochsner Clinical School, The University of Queensland School of Medicine, 1514 Jefferson Highway, New Orleans, LA 70121-2483, USA; Cardiac Rehabilitation, Exercise Laboratories, John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, Ochsner Clinical School, The University of Queensland School of Medicine, 1514 Jefferson Highway, New Orleans, LA 70121-2483, USA; Department of Preventive Medicine, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA. Electronic address: clavie@ochsner.org.
authors.forename: Carl J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lavie
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Missouri Health Sciences Center, 5 Hospital Drive Columbia, Room CE-338, Columbia, MO 65202, USA.
authors.forename: Martin A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Alpert
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, Ochsner Clinical School, The University of Queensland School of Medicine, 1514 Jefferson Highway, New Orleans, LA 70121-2483, USA.
authors.forename: Hector O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Ventura
mesh_terms: D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016276:Ventricular Function / Q000502:physiology*; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Heart failure; Obesity; Weight loss