UT Southwestern study links heart disease and pot belly

by John P. Meyer

A UT Southwestern Medical Center study, to be published in the Aug. 21 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, identifies that roll of fat around your waist (or lack of it) as an important determiner of your risk for heart disease.

Dr. James de Lemos and colleagues found that "...people who develop fat around the middle have more atherosclerotic plaque than those who have smaller waist-to-hip ratios."

So what else is new? Specifically, prior studies linking obesity to heart trouble have concentrated solely on body mass index (BMI) - that weight-to-height ratio we all tend to ignore as much as possible when bellying up to the mashed potatoes. But it turns out that the location of the stored fat may be just as important as the volume of it.

For instance: "...fat around your hips doesn't appear to increase risk for cardiovascular disease at all,” says Dr. Lemos. And, judging by his photo, he appears to be pleased with this finding.

On the other hand, says the doc, "Fat that accumulates around your waist seems to be more biologically active as it secretes inflammatory proteins that contribute to atherosclerotic plaque buildup." Or, in layman's terms, that beer belly might end up killing you.