Question:
Is it true losing weight to fast can put a strain on your heart?
I want this surgery and I'm going to get it...but..my husbands uncle said he knew someone that lost 100 pds really fast and died shortly after because it put to much strain on his heart...is that true? I could understand if he was takin ephredrine...or something. I dont think he got WLS..any info will help alot thanks — cinamoni (posted on April 18, 2003)
April 18, 2003
Hmm..I always thought being OBESE put the strain on the heart...I'd say
that maybe he already had heart problems (wether or not he knew this??)and
the WLS is being unsoundly blamed..I have a strong family history of heart
disease...one reason I decided to DO something now...before I had these
problems...My WLS is next WED the 23rd!! YA HOO
— Jamie M.
April 18, 2003
Hmm, I don't know. All I have heard is that weight loss helps with heart
function. The only thing I can think of - and of course this is my own
layperson's opinion, since I'm not even remotely a doctor - is that when
you loose weight you do sometimes loose lean body mass. I have a VERY VERY
thin friend. She has trouble keeping on weight and recently was very ill
and lost even more weight. Her doctor said she could die because she was
damaging her heart and organs. But that again is an extreme case. With
weight loss, as we see over and over, it is important to stay active to
maintain muscle mass. The heart is a muscle, so maybe major rapid weight
loss, in the absense of good nutrition and excersize could be bad?? I don't
know.
— w8free
April 18, 2003
I'll bet that friend had an electrolyte imbalance from the rapid
weightloss. I believe there is a much greater strain on the heart of
someone who is morbidly obese than one who is losing weight under medical
supervision. That's the key to staying healthy and getting in shape.
— DianeN
April 18, 2003
It could be a remote possibility that this person lost the weight in an
extremely unhealthy way. His body may have tried to preserve itself by
utilizing it's own protein - muscle, and the heart is muscle. This happens
in people with anorexia. On the other hand, when you have surgery to lose
weight, you are already aware of the risks and know (how much is it heard
here!!!???) that you have to get enough protein in! I think having surgery
and losing weight in a healthier way is not a problem for your heart. It is
absolutely true that obesity is really hard on one's heart. As for losing
the weight fast, it only happens for awhile. Plus, I look at it this way:
if i am walking up a hill with two bags of groceries, and I'm getting out
of breath and tired, would it be better to put down a bag of those
groceries and move on, or take a couple of items out, go on, take a couple
more out, walk some more, etc. ? I'd think it would be easier on my heart
and lungs to put a whole bag down! Your husband's uncle just has heresay -
he does not know the facts in this case and is just trying to "warn'
you. He obviously knows nothing about WLS. Pay no attention to this.
— koogy
April 19, 2003
Amy ... I see you've got your share of Negative Nellies in your life, too!
I'm sure there HAVE been people who have lost weight stupidly (like on diet
pills or by starving or whatever) and put a strain on your heart. You
might tell your uncle that Karen Carpenter died from heart strain caused by
trying to get healthy after years and years and years of being an ANOREXIC!
I would assume that, if you have a pre-existing heart condition, that your
surgeon and your doctor will monitor you carefully both pre- and post-op to
ensure that you don't do any/more damage. But, for most of us, it's not an
issue. I think your uncle might be scared for you -- or scared for
himself, as in how's he going to relate to little Amy if she's not a
chubbette anymore? -- so he's trying to "help" you. Just smile,
say "Oh, really? That's very interesting, thank you for bringing it
to my attention", and MOVE ON. This is YOUR life, and YOUR decision.
If you're really worried, talk to your surgeon -- but I think for most of
us it's not even an issue. Good luck!
— Cheryl Denomy
April 20, 2003
hiya...perhaps the death was due to not enough protein in his diet. believe
it or not, not getting enough protein can cause heart, liver, and brain
dysfunction!
i found that in an article on www.spotlighthealth.com it was in the
nutrition article.
kate
— jkb
April 20, 2003
MOs are at big risk gfor heart troubles. Now the person who died had lost
100 pounds so they at least started out MO. Without having their entire
health history its immpossible to know what went wrong. A friend of a
friend died after WLS. I did some checking on one of these once. True the
poor fellow died, he was hit by a truck.
— bob-haller
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