general question

Question
hi dr. pilcher

there's alot of people that have a fast metabolism that can eat anything they want and burn it off quickly, regardless if it's healthy or junk food.  but doesn't the fat still collect in the arteries?  so even if the person is skinny in their 50's their arteries could be severely clogged?  am right in thinking this?

Answer
SK,
I don't think anyone knows the whole story on weight vs. arterial blockage.  In essence, you are correct that there can be a big mismatch between the amount of food consumed (and the amount stored) and how much blood vessel blockage there is.

The statistics show that rising weight does correlate with a rising risk of blood vessel blockage.  However, sometimes heavy people can have normal arteries, and skinny people can have blockages.

Dr JP

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