Photodisc/ThinkstockBy DR. JENNIFER ASHTON, ABC News Senior Medical Contributor

We know that being overweight is linked to higher risk of heart disease. But now, a new study suggests that fluctuating weight during adulthood may also lead to an increased risk of heart disease.

Researchers studied nearly 160,000 post-menopausal women. They found that women who had big alterations and variations in their weight had nearly three-and-a-half times the risk of dying of a heart issue than their normal weight counterparts who did not experience weight cycling.

Here’s my view on this: There’s much that we don’t know about the effects of weight gain and weight loss on the heart. And while these findings did not show a cause and effect, it is important to remember that 80 percent of heart disease is preventable with attention to lifestyle factors like diet, exercise and not smoking.

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