Well known risk factors for growing aortic aneurysms include high blood pressure, smoking, family history, age, and male gender.
And what about obesity, which often leads to high blood pressure?
Could weight loss reduce the risk of aneurysm growth?
After all, a number of risk factors for aortic aneurysm improve after weight loss including lowering of blood pressure and chronic inflammation.
One 2022 clinical study found that moderate, weight loss in overweight and obese non-smokers is associated with a significant decrease in the aortic dilation size and may prevent the development of aortic aneurysms but further research is needed.
And can weight loss reduce the risk of surgery?
Obesity is tied to higher mortality in the hosptial after an aortic dissection and open heart surgery.
And in our recent YouTube interview, Dr. Francis Caputo, head vascular surgeon at Cleveland Clinic, said he counsels people in watch and wait to be active and get to their ideal weight before surgery to improve outcomes
How to lose weight is another question.
The Mayo Clinic recommends a heart healthy diet that limits sodium and fat, but allows unlimited fruit and vegetables. This two stage Mayo Clinic diet includes choosing healthy foods and increasing exercise (the old: calories in and calories out approach).
If you are an Aortic Athlete who has lost weight and kept it off, let’s hear how you have succeeded.
For a deep dive, here are links to the material discussed here.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9531129
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9315262
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/mayo-clinic-diet/art-20045460