New obesity research: Belly fat a better predictor of heart attack risk than BMI

New research indicates that body shape may be a better indicator of heart disease risk than the increasingly controversial BMI measurement. A new study from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City supports previous research showing abdominal obesity is more dangerous than other types of fat, and is highly correlated with heart disease, as well as other diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

Dr. Brent Muhlestein, co-director of research at Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute and one of the study authors, said “We found that left ventricle heart function got worse with progressive waist circumference. The relation between left ventricle function and waist circumference remained highly significant, even after adjusting for body weight.”

Previous research from the same team of scientists showed that the greater a person’s BMI the greater their risk of heart disease. However, the researchers this time found that the link between abdominal fat and heart function was not dependent on either body weight or BMI. As participants’ belly fat increased, their left ventricular function got progressively worse. At 45 inches at the waist the heart function decline finally leveled off, regardless of BMI measurement.

Dr. Sarah Samaan, cardiologist and physician partner at the Heart Hospital at Baylor in Plano, Tex., said, “We know that heavier people are more likely to have stiffer hearts, which in turn can predispose to heart failure. This study shows us that fat in the abdominal area is especially harmful to heart function.”

A common cause of heart disease is abnormal ventricular function, and the left ventricle is particularly important as it is the primary pumping chamber in the human heart. Using echocardiography, researchers evaluated the heart study of the 200 men and women in the study. All participants had type 1 or type 2 diabetes, which can raise heart risks. However, none of the patients started the study with any heart disease symptoms.

The study also found that abdominal obesity had a greater negative effect on men than it did on women. Muhlestein advises that women should maintain a waist size of no more than 34 inches, and men should stick to 40 inches or less.

Muhlestein said that diet and exercise, particularly aerobic, remain the heart of the battle against obesity. However, he says the current study emphasizes that those with apple-shaped bodies should be even more motivated to reduce all cardiovascular risks, including the circumference of the waist.