People over the age of 40 who are living with obesity may now have healthier cholesterol and blood pressure levels than they did 30 years ago, according to a new study published in The Lancet and the British Medical Journal. Researchers say this improvement is likely because more people are taking medicines to lower cholesterol, such as statins, and drugs to control high blood pressure.
The study found that in several high-income countries, adults aged 40 and above with obesity now have blood pressure and cholesterol levels that are similar to—or in some cases even better than—people of the same age with a healthy body weight. This indicates that many older adults are benefiting from these drugs in lowering the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
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However, younger adults are a different story. People under 40 with obesity still tend to have higher blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol levels than those with a healthy weight. Researchers believe this is because younger adults are much less likely to be prescribed cholesterol-lowering or blood pressure medicines, regardless of their weight.
Lead author Professor Majid Ezzati from Imperial College London said, “Our study suggests that, in high-income countries, taking medication to lower blood pressure and cholesterol has helped middle-age and older adults with obesity lower their cardiovascular risk to levels that are similar to people with normal BMI. At a time that weight-loss medications are becoming more widely used, our results give a picture of the cardiovascular health of people likely to be prescribed them, which allows the healthcare system to understand how blood pressure and cholesterol treatments benefit the population alongside weight-loss medications.”
