Love Your Heart

This February is Heart Month, and Penn Medicine encourages you to make changes in your lifestyle that will help your heart get or stay healthy.

It's no secret that obesity, and being overweight directly affects your health. When it comes to your heart health, however, obesity is only second to tobacco as a risk factor for heart disease.

The American Heart Association describes obesity as being 20 percent or more above your ideal body weight and between 60 and 70 percent of Americans are either overweight or obese. Letting your weight gain get out of control can increase your risk for health problems such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and more.

Did you know that by losing just 5 to 10 percent of your total body weight, you can bring about significant health gains?

• Lowered blood pressure
• Reduced cholesterol levels
• Reduced risk of type 2 (adult onset) diabetes
• Less chance of stroke
• Decreased complications from heart disease
• Reduced overall mortality

“Weight-loss procedures and the weight loss that comes with them have amazing and almost instant dramatic and rapid results,” says Gary Korus, MD, bariatric surgeon at Penn. “We see a change in some medications within days of surgery. Some of our patients report they were given the ‘okay’ to stop taking certain medications very early in their weight-loss journey.”

Lose Weight at Penn Medicine

Learn about medical weight loss in Philadelphia, and the Penn Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Program at a free information session about weight-loss surgery in Philadelphia.

There, you will hear about your weight-loss surgery options, and how Penn can help you lose weight and get healthy for good.


Register for a free information session today.

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Weight Loss Surgery Reduces Cardiovascular Risk

Cara Stewart, RD, LDN, member of the Penn Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery team, discusses recent study findings, which reveal the cardiovascular benefits of weight loss surgery and identify diabetes, not BMI, as the best indicator of cardiovascular risk.

Obesity is a well-known risk factor for a host of cardiovascular problems, including heart attack, stroke and heart disease, but a recently published study in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that weight loss surgery can significantly reduce that risk.

Researchers found that bariatric surgery lowered the risk of heart attack and stroke by 33 percent and the risk of death from heart-related causes by nearly 53 percent. The results are based on a Swedish study of over 4,000 obese adults that compared the outcomes of people who had bariatric surgery with those that did not.

The study showed that diabetes and risk factors for diabetes, including high blood sugar, were significant indicators of post-surgical cardiovascular benefit. Body mass index (BMI) before surgery and weight loss after surgery were not associated with reduced incidence of cardiovascular events, based on the study results.

Currently, candidates for bariatric surgery must have either a BMI over 40 or a BMI over 35 with one or more obesity-related condition, such as diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnea.  The findings of this study highlight the importance of considering diabetes, in addition to BMI, when deciding whether bariatric surgery is the best treatment option.

- Cara Stewart, RD, LDN

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Get the Facts about Healthy Fats: Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Rachel Griehs, RD, LDN, member of the Penn Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery team, explains the nutritional importance of essential fatty acids.


For years experts have been saying that all fats are bad, but it turns out that is not the case. Among the healthy fats are omega-3 and omega-6, which are considered essential fatty acids. Although the body needs them, it cannot produce them itself, which is why they must be incorporated into your diet.

There are three types of omega-3 fatty acids:
1.    Alpha-linoleic (ALA)
2.    Docosahexaenoic (DHA)
3.    Eicosapentaenoic (EPA)

ALA is found in plant foods and flaxseed is the richest source. EPA and DHA are found in similar foods, including seafood, algae and higher fat cold water fish, such as mackerel, albacore tuna, salmon, sardines, Atlantic herring, swordfish and lake trout. Enriched eggs are also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids because the egg-producing hens are fed a diet that includes flaxseed and algae. As a result, these eggs contain all three types of omega-3 fatty acids. 

Omega-6 fatty acids are made up of linoleic acid. They are found in nuts, seeds and vegetable oils, specifically soybean, safflower and corn oil. Experts recommend that 5 to 10 percent of your total caloric intake should come from omega-6 fatty acids.

How do these fatty acids benefit health?

Omega-3 fatty acids thin the blood, reducing the risk for blocked blood vessels, heart attacks and strokes. They also prevent hardening of the arteries, lower triglycerides and help reduce blood pressure.

Omega-6 fatty acids lower cardiovascular disease risk by decreasing total cholesterol, including “bad” cholesterol (LDL—low density lipoprotein). However, by reducing the total cholesterol, omega-6’s also lower “good” cholesterol (HDL—high density lipoprotein), which functions like a sponge and carries “bad” cholesterol and other lipids to the liver for excretion.

The American Heart Association recommends that people who do not have coronary heart disease (CHD) eat a variety of fish, specifically oily fish, at least twice a week. For those with CHD, they recommend one gram of EPA and DHA from oily fish a day. It can be hard to obtain sufficient omega-3 from your diet alone. If so, talk to your physician about adding a fish-oil supplement.

- Rachel Griehs, RD, LDN

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Take Control of Your Blood Pressure

Cara Stewart, RD, LDN, member of the Penn Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery team, offers advice for managing hypertension with diet and exercise.

Healthy lifestyles play a major role in the prevention and treatment of hypertension or high blood pressure. For those who have high blood pressure or those at risk for hypertension, small diet and exercise changes can help you control your blood pressure without medication.

These simple lifestyle tips can help prevent or manage hypertension:

Eat plenty of fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits. When using canned vegetables, choose products with “no salt added.”

Skip the salt when cooking. Use herbs, spices, herbed vinegars and fruit juices to add flavor instead.

Choose foods that are low in sodium. If you have hypertension, you should consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day. That is the equivalent of just under two-thirds of a teaspoon of salt.

Read the nutrition facts on the label to determine sodium content in packaged food. The sodium content is usually listed in milligrams per single serving. Look for the products that say:

• Unsalted
• No salt added
• Reduced sodium
• Sodium-free
• Low in sodium

Spend at least 30 minutes a day doing physical activity. Take a brisk walk around the neighborhood or join a fitness class with a friend. If you have physical limitations, try seated exercise programs.

Be mindful of calorie intake and gradually increase exercise to facilitate weight loss. Your blood pressure rises as your body weight increases, so weight reduction often helps lower blood pressure.

When eating out:

• Request that your food be prepared without added salt.
• Ask for sauces and salad dressings on the side since they are often high in sodium. When eating a salad, use a twist of lemon, a splash of vinegar or a light drizzle of dressing, or dip your fork in the dressing before getting a bite of salad.

These tips can help you manage high blood pressure, but please consult your health care team before making any adjustments to your hypertension medications.

For more information on managing hypertension, visit the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute or the American Heart Association.

- Cara Stewart, RD, LDN

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Give Your Heart a Gift

February is American Heart Month: a time to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease, the number one cause of death in the United States. The risk of cardiovascular disease is increased for people with severe obesity. Obesity can cause structural changes in the heart including excess heart muscle and ventricle inflammation that can lead to heart failure.

It is no secret that weight loss reduces cardiovascular risks, but a recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that bariatric surgery can also help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Researchers found that gastric bypass surgery can lead to a “remodeling” of the heart as well as significant weight loss. The study compared a group of more than 400 severely obese people with gastric bypass surgery to a group of 300 severely obese people who did not have surgery.

Two years later, echocardiograms showed a reduction in left ventricular mass and right ventricular cavity area among the surgical patients. The improved cardiac function and appearance suggests less stress on the heart and reduced overall cardiovascular risk.

For more information on how bariatric surgery can reduce your cardiovascular risk, please contact the Penn Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery team at 800.789.PENN.

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