Number of obese years not -- just obesity -- a distinct risk factor for heart damage

(Johns Hopkins Medicine) In an analysis of clinical data collected on more than 9,000 people, Johns Hopkins researchers have shown that the number of years spent overweight or obese appear to 'add up' to a distinct risk factor that makes those with a longer history of heaviness more likely to test positive for a chemical marker of so-called 'silent' heart damage than those with a shorter history.