Being fat could be helpful for heart patients?

This news item caught our attention.

In a review in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, it was suggested that being fat can be useful for heart patients.

Overweight heart attack victims should stay fat as they are more likely to live longer, say the researchers. The controversial claim goes against conventional advice to patients that they should lose weight.

"Obese patients with heart disease respond well to treatment and have paradoxically better outcomes and survival than thinner patients," said author Dr Carl Lavie, medical director of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention at the Ochsner medical Centre.

Dr Lavie said it was possible extra weight might help because patients had more reserves to fight disease.

.....© Melbourne Sun-Herald, 20th May 2009