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People with “beer bellies” may be at increased risk of: heart damagenew concerns have arisen about the health risks associated with excess weight around the midsection.
German researchers have found that men who accumulate fat around their abdomens show clear signs of early heart damage, even if their overall body weight is not very high.
Scientists wanted to better understand whether abdominal fat (fat stored deep around internal organs) is more harmful to the heart than general body fat.
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Doctors have long suspected that not only total weight, but also fat distribution, plays an important role. heart disease. The study tested that idea using cardiac MRI scans.
”abdominal obesity“A high waist-to-hip ratio is associated with a more concerning pattern of cardiac remodeling than high body mass index (BMI) alone,” study lead author Jennifer Earley, MD, a radiology resident at Hamburg-Eppendorf University Medical Center in Germany, said in a press release.
Men with higher waist-to-hip ratios showed early signs of heart damage, even if their overall body weight was not as high. (St. Petersburg)
The research team tested 2,244 adults between the ages of 46 and 78, and none were diagnosed with heart disease. Each participant underwent a high-resolution MRI scan that measured the size, thickness, and volume of the heart’s chambers.
Researchers also collected detailed health information, including weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking status, and smoking status. Diabetes history.
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Don’t rely solely on BMI. fat is storedThe research team used waist-to-hip ratio measurements. This compares your waist circumference to your hips to determine how much fat you have around your abdomen.
A high ratio indicates visceral fat. Visceral fat is deep metabolically active fat associated with inflammation and organ stress.
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Men with a higher waist-to-hip ratio showed a pattern of thicker myocardium and smaller ventricular volumes. According to the researchers, this means that the heart muscle grows larger, but holds less blood and has to work harder.
Cardiac MRI scans reveal that people with excess abdominal fat have thicker heart walls and smaller ventricular volumes. (St. Petersburg)
”[Abdominal obesity] “It appears to cause a potentially pathological form of cardiac remodeling,” Early said.
Based on BMI alone, 69% of men and 56% of women in this study overweight or obese. However, using waist-to-hip ratio, 91% of men and 64% of women met criteria for obesity.
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General obesity based on BMI was frequently associated with enlarged heart chambers in all participants. Abdominal obesity was associated with myocardial thickening and decreased heart chamber volume.
Over time, these structural changes can lead to heart failure and other diseases. cardiovascular problemsthe researchers warned.
”[Abdominal obesity] It appears to cause a potentially pathological form of cardiac remodeling. ”
These associations have been linked to age, smoking, blood pressure and other risk factors.
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A similar trend was observed for women, but the effect was significantly stronger for men. Researchers noted that men are more likely to: store fat in the abdomen Women are more susceptible than women, especially as they get older, which may explain the more severe effects.
The effects on the heart are strongest in men, likely due to differences in the way men and women store fat. (St. Petersburg)
The findings help explain why some people with a normal or moderately elevated BMI develop heart disease, while those who weigh more do not. It also suggests that simply stepping on the scale may not give you a complete picture of your heart risk.
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This study had several limitations, primarily that it was observational by design, meaning that although patterns were identified, direct causality could not be proven.
Additionally, the researchers admitted that they did not follow the participants long enough to see who ultimately developed heart disease.
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Also, while useful, waist-to-hip ratio is a simplistic measure that does not capture all variations in body composition.
The findings will be presented this week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago.
