When it comes to fat and high blood pressure, location may be everything. Your chances of having high blood pressure are greater if you’re obese, but fat around the belly may pose the greatest risk.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death and disease in the United States. And some people may be more at risk than others — even if they have the same symptoms.

Being overweight or obese is usually considered a risk factor for heart disease. But overweight or obese heart disease patients may not be the ones most at risk of dying from a heart condition.

The obesity epidemic in America has led to disease and increased health care costs. This epidemic may be hitting some ethnic groups harder than others.

Type 2 diabetes is often diagnosed in overweight patients. The combination of diabetes and obesity can present a serious risk for heart disease.

Serious illness does not always strike suddenly. Sometimes, it comes at the end of long road marked by other health problems. Kidney disease often is preceded by other avoidable health problems.

Some research has shown that those who regularly drink or smoke are less likely to take their cholesterol medications. But people with a different unhealthy lifestyle factor do seem to take the medications meant to lower cholesterol and improve their health.

According to the so-called "obesity paradox", people who are overweight and have had a stroke have a better chance of surviving than their normal and underweight counterparts. However, some research is starting to debunk this idea.

Although obesity is linked to heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, some heavy people seem immune. Those considered “healthy” obese, however, may face health troubles down the line.

Exercise is key to losing weight and keeping that weight off, which is healthy for the heart. But even without weight loss, physical activity may provide quite a bit of benefit to the heart.