Studies show that every extra inch at the waist increases the risk of heart failure by 11 percent. Scientists from the University of Oxford have found that extra pounds around the belly are much more important than overall weight. Analysis of health data for adults aged 40 to 70 years has shown that weight circumference is the greatest risk factor relative to other measures of obesity, such as body mass index (BMI), which measures a person’s mass and height.
THE STUDY LAST 13 YEARS
Over the 13-year study, the risk of heart attack and cardiac arrest increased by four percent for every centimeter in the waist area. Health experts say everyone should measure themselves annually to check for dangerous fat buildup around their organs. Principal investigator Dr. Ayodipupo Oguntade said: “The amount of fat people carry on their torso is more important in tracking body obesity and cardiovascular risk.”
TWO IN THREE ADULTS ARE OVERWEIGHT
It is known that visceral adipose tissue (fat around organs in the abdomen) is very active and contains many inflammatory factors that can cause cardiovascular disease.
THE RISK INCREASES AS THE WAIST THICKNESS INCREASE
Research presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in Barcelona said those with the largest waistlines were 3.21 times more likely to develop heart failure. And those with the worst waist-to-hip ratio measurements were 3.34 times more at risk than those who were thinner. By comparison, those in the highest quintile for BMI had a 2.65 times greater risk of heart failure than those in the lowest.