Overweight

[gingerfurball]

Hi i was watching a video from dr sanjay gupta ( i think that is his name ), he was saying how losing weight can help with AF symptoms and eating a Mediterranean diet is really good for AF as well, i just wondered if anyone has felt the benefits of losing weight and or doing a Mediterranean diet. Thankyou Sue

[Hidden]

I found weight loss combined with mild regular exercise has helped reduce my symptoms to a minimal level.

I take Edoxaban and a statin but no rate control or bp control medication at present.

I have a passive pacemaker to support bradycardia (since 2008) and it reports my PAF occurrences which are currently rare and measured in minutes and seconds. Last one in May was 1 minute 15 seconds. I haven’t been to A&E for 18 months.

I reduced my weight from 88.5 Kg to 77kg initially now I’m back up to 79kg but with muscle I never had before and my old trousers I use for painting need braces … I changed my body shape although still no 6 pack !😂

Sanjay makes sense and his message is delivered in a clear and none patronising way ..

Go for it !

[secondtry]

My view Sue is that we are all different physically and therefore by definition will all trigger AF in different ways; although accepted some ways more common than others.

My approach which has been pretty successful over the last 10 years has been first to get the AF stopped (as mine was totally debilitating) unfortunately that entailed signing up for Flecainide, which I am still on. Wanting to get off the pills asap and taking note of others here saying the drug effect can weaken with time resulting in more AF or a stronger dose, I focussed next on making lifestyle changes. As I did not know which changes to make and whether just one (eg reducing stress) would be enough I have approached them all in moderation.

So long story short, I would follow Dr Gupta's advice in operation.

[Finvola in reply to secondtry]

Totally agree with  secondtry - I've done the same with adapting a mostly plant-based diet to suit my own circumstances, keeping my BMI at around 22, cutting out junk and artificial stuff - and (trying) to manage stress.

Dr Gupta gives some excellent advice and is a forward-thinker in the treatment of heart arrhythmias and their horrible symptoms.

Flecainide has controlled my AF for the last 9 years.

[BobD Volunteer]

The LEGACY trials in Australia showed that wieght loss leading to a BMI of 26 or better reduced AF burden to level where treatment was often unecessary. For sure being obese promotes AF.

[Sixtyslidogirl]

Diets can be a waste of time as whilst you might lose some weight unless you change your eating habits for good, you’ll just put it back on again. There are a few in here, myself included doing the Zoe personalised nutrition plan which aims to change the way you eat without counting calories and thus making you hungry. It’s not specifically aimed at losing weight but many do as well as improving other bio markers.

[Hannalore]

I have lost weight over the years and have a Mediterranean diet partially and it makes no difference. In fact as I lose weight I suffer more AF attacks.

[Ossie7 in reply to Hannalore]

I was the same Hannalore . Lost 3 stone in weight , and had the worst ever period of persistent AF ever . All I get from cardiology is negativity about my weight as I sadly put 2 stone back on due to immense family stress and bereavement . X

[Hannalore in reply to Ossie7]

I do sympathise with you Ossie7.I do hope that you find a resolution.

I have had paroxysmal AF for approx 40 years. I have had 3 ablations plus a pacemaker inserted. There is no rhyme nor reason for why it still happens. I am 78 yrs old so no doubt will have it till the end of time!!. Not nice but livable with.

I am so sorry that you have had bereavement and family stress and hope that you will be able to feel more at peace in the future. I will be thinking of you.

[Ossie7 in reply to Hannalore]

Thankyou so much x

[Autumn_Leaves in reply to Ossie7]

I wonder whether all this weight issue is actually a red herring. I’m not overweight and I have AF. No doctor can ever use that excuse on me. Instead they say things like “unfortunately it’s something that becomes more common with age”. It seems any person who carries a bit of extra weight gets guilt tripped for it, but if it wasn’t that it would be age, genetics or “stress” or something else.

[Hidden in reply to Autumn_Leaves]

I was overweight I was suffering badly and now a lot less so through weight and exercise.

So many factors can trigger this condition and mine was being fat and out of condition- I was never guilt tripped just honest with myself. I dealt with it .

Of course it may return as I get older but I accept I’m becoming an old man I’m just going to make sure I’m not a fat old man and hopefully avoid too much of the worst before I die.

I’ve got a T shirt made for the gym which reads “ I may be old but when I die I’ll be healthy”

[Autumn_Leaves in reply to Hidden]

If weight loss helped then good for you. As I said before the question always is “compared to what?” If I lost weight I’d very soon be clinically underweight and that’s definitely not good for anyone’s health. Underweight as a health risk is rarely ever mentioned. With all self-help measures it depends on your starting point. “Compared to what?”

[Hidden in reply to Autumn_Leaves]

Absolutely….

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

Hi

I think it had a bearing of my H/R Day controlled by Diltiazem 120mg down to 88-96 to again less after losing 3kg to 60s.

I do feel much improved in energy.

I also increased my B12 level (deficiency) to 700. Doubled.

Yes, losing weight helps but I am on anti-coagulant PRADAXA so I need to keep low greens. Reason the Vit K in them.

cheri jOY. 74. (NZ)

[Ppiman]

I recall reading in a study that body size (i.e. weight and height) directly relate to heart size, but that the number of heart cells (“myocytes”) a person has is fixed. This seemed odd to me, being a tall but reasonable slim chap!

It was in a study that showed how, as a result, heart cells physically enlarge or stretch to become larger when weight increases and can then shrink back when weight decreases. The study went on to show that the stretched heart cells in the atrium were more prone to arrhythmias such as AF. It is also the case that blood pressure (another issue strongly linked to causing AF) falls when weight is lost.

Steve

[CDreamer]

I don’t think there is much doubt about it. Just be clear what a ‘Mediterranean’ or in in US ‘Pan-Mediterranean’ diet means - 80% of what you eat should be plant based, no processed foods so everything made from scratch with fresh preferably organic, almost no red meat, 1-2 portions of fish per week, small amount of cheese and whole grains so no biscuits/cakes/breakfast cereals/bread.

AND - it works!

[Jalia in reply to CDreamer]

Sounds exciting.🤔

[pusillanimous]

I think being overweight exacerbates just about everything and although I am not overweight (8st) my GP has long advocated the Mediterranean diet, well before my AF was diagnosed - it is a sensible balanced fadless way of eating and enjoyable! My family jokes about my 12 year old grandson - he's a vegetarian (or so he says) who does not eat vegetables,!We has labelled him a Carbohydratarian !

[Jalia in reply to pusillanimous]

Actually I would agree. My remark was meant to be light hearted at the ' no goes '.....bread, cakes etc! My 7 year old grandson sounds like yours, won't eat meat but doesn't like vegetables either ! I'm vegetarian.

[irene75359 in reply to pusillanimous]

My six-year old grandson too. He literally lives on plain pasta with a touch of oil. A year ago, one mealtime, he asked 'Is this an animal that has died?' and completely stopped all meat. My daughter and son-in-law have a reward system if he tries new food and vegetables but it is painful to watch him - they are ripping their hair out!

[pusillanimous in reply to irene75359]

I'm sure it all works out in the end! I would not eat meat as child. my mother used to go to all sorts of lengths to get me to eat it, little piles of mashed potato with squares of meat as windows - which I picked out. I once went for a week refusing to eat anything but gapes which were not freely available in the UK - I would not touch cheese until I was 18!I was a nasty spoiled brat ( I hope I've improved!). The irony of my grandson is that his mother (although she does not practice) holds a BSc Hons. degree in dietetics, ha, ha, ha.

[bassets]

Losing weight is a very good idea for AF and everything else. I managed to lose 2 stones and found my AF burden was lighter. Now I'm on a further diet to see if it can be encouraged to disappear!

[Popepaul]

I am pleased to see that most of the above replies support the idea that weight loss and the adoption of a good diet are likely to improve the functioning and health of the heart. I think that the benefits are likely to be systemic. Dr Gupta is almost certainly correct in what he says on this matter.

[Autumn_Leaves]

As others have said, it depends on the cause of your AF. I’ve never been anywhere close to overweight in my life but it was no protection against developing AF quite obviously. I was already following a healthy plant based diet, and my bloodwork looks fantastic on paper. Again, didn’t stop AF. I have not changed my diet in any way whatsoever. With all dietary changes, the question always is “compared to what?” If your diet is rubbish then then there’s room for improvement. It might help, or it might not. As for weight loss, it’s still the same question. Weight loss compared to what? If you’re clinically obese, losing weight might help. If you’re in the healthy normal range, probably not.

A healthy diet can be achieved in a number of ways. There is no one right way, there are many ways to eat healthily. It’s not necessary to exclude certain foods to make your diet “healthy” and it’s not compulsory to include certain foods either. We all know what unhealthy foods are, and we all have a fair idea of what constitutes a healthy diet. Following somebody else’s made up food rules is never a good idea. All that does is promote an unhealthy relationship with food. Once I hear a “name” diet, I run for the hills. I’m an adult and I know how to feed myself. The best diet is the one that you can stick to in the long term.

[Hidden in reply to Autumn_Leaves]

I lost weight by simply eating well not less and moving rather than sitting. I never stuff myself and I’m never hungry and never bored and I’m usually engaged either exercising or as a volunteer somewhere.

[Jalia in reply to Autumn_Leaves]

Well said! Most sensible reply I've read.