New evidence suggests older adults with a healthy weight but high percentage of body fat are at increased risk of heart-related diseases and death.
Looking at data on 1,528 people with a normal body mass index (BMI) - a measure of weight in relation to height - researchers found one in five men and nearly one in three women had a body fat percentage above what is considered healthy.
The study builds on previous research showing some people with a healthy weight may still be carrying around too much fat. Excess body fat has been linked to a higher risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
"Just because someone has a normal BMI does not necessarily mean they are metabolically normal," said lead researcher Dr. John Batsis, a geriatrician at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, referring to the body's ability to process fats and sugars.
The researchers analyzed data from national nutrition surveys, looking specifically at normal-weight adults who were 70 years old, on average.
A total of 902 of the participants died during the following13 years, including 419 of cardiovascular disease. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_141060.html
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