LOS ANGELES : People who
fall within a normal weight range but who carry excess belly fat – also known
as a ‘muffin top’ – are at a higher risk of developing heart disease than
people who are obese, says a new study.
The results are surprising
and debunk the conventional notion that cardiovascular disease targets mostly
those who are overweight and obese.
For their study, researchers
from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota examined the body mass index (BMI)
and waist-to-hip ratio of 12,785 subjects 18 years and older from a
representative sample of the US population.
The mean age of the subjects
was 44 years. In a 14-year follow-up, there were 2,562 deaths, of which 1,138
were cardiovascular-related.
After analyzing the
subjects’ BMI and waist-to-hip ratio, researchers found that the risk of
cardiovascular disease was 2.75 times higher and the risk of death about 2
times higher in people of normal weight with high waist-to-hip ratios, compared
to those with a normal BMI and normal waist-to-hip ratio.
“We knew from previous
research that central obesity is bad, but what is new in this research is that
the distribution of the fat is very important even in people with a normal
weight,” said Dr Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, lead researcher and cardiologist at
the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
“... Our research shows that
if a person has a normal BMI, this by itself should not reassure them that
their risk for heart disease is low. Where their fat is distributed on their
body can mean a lot, and that can be determined easily by getting a
waist-to-hip measurement, even if their body weight is within normal limits.”
The findings were presented
at a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in Munich this week.
Meanwhile, a US study
published last year found that the best bet for trimming belly fat is vigorous
aerobic activity like jogging and brisk walking rather than weight training. (AFP/Relaxnews)
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