Abdominal Fat Linked to Raised Heart, Cancer Risks

People with excessive belly fat have a greater risk of heart disease and cancer than those who have fat in other body areas, a new study finds. Researchers used CT scans to assess fat in the abdomen, around the heart tissue and around the aortic artery in more than 3,000 Americans, average age 50. They were then followed for up to seven years. During the follow-up, there were 90 cardiovascular events, 141 cancer cases and 71 deaths. Abdominal fat -- which typically indicates fat around internal organs -- was associated with an increased risk of heart disease and cancer, the investigators found. The findingshttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_138580.html, published online July 10 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, might explain why people with a similar body mass index (BMI) but different body types have varied obesity-related health problems. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight.