PURPOSE: Because obesity is a cardiovascular risk factor but is associated with a more
favorable prognosis among cohorts of cardiac patients, we assessed this “obesity paradox”
in overweight and obese patients with coronary heart disease enrolled in a cardiac
rehabilitation and exercise training (CRET) program, making this assessment in patients
classified as overweight/obese using both traditional body mass index (BMI) and percent
body fat assessments. Additionally, we assessed the efficacy and safety of purposeful weight …