G�bor L. Kov�cs
Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of P�cs, Hungary

Data from the Framingham Offspring Study indicate that the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in men and women, who were followed for 16 years, was directly related to the number of coronary heart disease risk factors (high cholesterol, low HDL-cholesterol, high body mass index, high systolic blood pressure, high triglyceride levels, and high blood glucose). Each of these risk factors also is associated with obesity (Wilson et al. 1999). Data from the Framingham Offspring Study also demonstrate that small changes in body weight are associated with significant changes in the sum of CHD risk factors. A gain in weight of 2.25 kg or more over 16 years significantly increased the sum of risk factors for CHD by 20% in men and 37% in women. Conversely, a reduction in weight by 2.25 kg or more significantly decreased the risk factor sum by 48% in men and 40% in women.

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