Belly fat may be a better predictor of heart disease risk than BMI, study finds
The humble tape measure might just be a more accurate indicator of heart health than we give it credit for. A recent study involving over 250,000 adults over two decades has revealed that traditional body mass index (BMI) measurements may not be the most reliable predictor of heart disease risk when considering various outcomes, including heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure.
The research focused on waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio, and the results were eye-opening. Nearly one in five individuals with a normal BMI but a high waist-to-hip ratio had a 50% higher risk for several heart disease outcomes. This finding challenges the long-standing assumption that BMI is the gold standard for assessing cardiovascular risk.
Dr. Tara Narula, ABC News chief medical correspondent and a board-certified cardiologist, explains, "Body mass index doesn't tell us about fat versus lean mass. It doesn't tell us about the distribution of the fat." This distribution of fat, particularly around the belly area, is what matters. Visceral fat, stored around organs, can lead to metabolic dysregulation, increasing inflammation, and raising blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.
The study also found that among individuals with obesity, nearly 10% had lower waist circumference, and surprisingly, the majority showed no significant difference in heart health risk compared to their normal-weight counterparts with low waist circumference. This suggests that central adiposity, or belly fat, may be a more critical factor in cardiovascular health.
For women, a waist circumference of around 35 inches and a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.85 are considered elevated, while for men, these thresholds are around 40 inches and a waist-to-hip ratio of greater than 0.90. These measurements can be taken at home using a flexible tape measure, ensuring you measure without clothes on and at the highest point of your waist for the former and at the widest point for the latter.
The implications of this study are significant. Narula believes it may be time to reevaluate how we inform patients about their cardiovascular risk. She states, "It tells us we really should be adding this into how we inform patients in the office using those waist markers."
This study highlights the importance of considering waist measurements alongside traditional BMI assessments. It raises a deeper question: Are we overlooking a crucial aspect of heart health by solely relying on BMI? As Narula suggests, a simple tape measure might just be a powerful tool in predicting and managing heart disease risk.
