Cerebrovascular Disease and Stroke

Overview

Obesity puts a strain on your whole circulatory system, which carries blood through your body through your vessels (arteries and veins). This strain increases your risk for stroke and vessel damage in the brain. Obesity can lead to other stroke risk factors. Stroke risk factors include heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes (called metabolic syndrome when someone has three or more of these diseases) and obstructive sleep apnea (1).

1. Chen, Hsin-Jen, et al. “Influence of metabolic syndrome and general obesity on the risk of ischemic stroke.” Stroke 37.4 (2006): 1060-1064.