Pot bellies 'increase heart disease risk'
Waist measurements could be an important indicator of heart disease risk
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Tuesday, 14, Aug 2007 11:17
Body fat in a pot belly around people's waists could be a better indicator for heart disease than body mass index (BMI), a new study suggests.
Scientists from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre in Dallas found that adding several inches to the waist, even if body weight remains within the normal range, increases the risk of unhealthy plaque build-up in the arteries of the heart and the rest of the body.
The relationship between hip measurement and waist measurement was also said to be more closely tied to early, hidden signs of heart disease than other measures of obesity including BMI and the waist circumference alone.
Over 2,700 taking part in the study had non-invasive imaging tests to spot early signs of plaque build-up in the arteries, which indicates an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life.
The researchers discovered that the likelihood of calcium build-up being found in the arteries grew in direct proportion to increases in the waist to hip ratio.
People with the largest ratio were nearly twice as likely to have calcium deposits in their coronary arteries as those with the smallest ratio.
This remained the case even when other heart disease risk factors were taken into account, including age, smoking, blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.
"In our 30s and 40s we often gain three to four inches in the midsection," said researcher Dr James de Lemos.
"It's a day-to-day, meal-to-meal battle, but it's worth fighting. Even a small pot belly puts us at higher risk when compared to a flat tummy."
Commenting on the study, June Davison, cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said that the risk of heart disease is higher when fat is mainly concentrated around the abdomen.
"The best way to measure obesity is an area of much debate and ongoing research. Obesity is a complex issue and in order to truly assess a person's risk of dying from an illness associated with it, a detailed assessment using multiple measurements is the best approach for each individual patient," she added.
"What's important is that people consider their body shape as well as their weight. Controlling both by eating less and being more active is an effective way to reduce your risk of heart and circulatory disease."