Bigger waistlines raise risk of heart failure

Extra pounds around the stomach matter more than overall weight when it comes to heart health

EVERY extra inch on the waistline increases the risk of heart failure by 11 per cent, research shows.

Scientists from Oxford University said the study shows that extra pounds around the belly are far more important than overall weight.

Analysis of health data on adults aged 40 to 70 showed waist circumference is the biggest risk factor for heart problems over other obesity measures, such as body mass index (BMI).

The 13-year study found the risk of such events – which include heart attacks and cardiac arrests – increased by 4 per cent for every centimetre on the waistline.

Health experts say everyone should measure themselves annually to check if they are building up dangerous fat around their organs.

Lead researcher Dr Ayodipupo Oguntade said: “The amount of fat people carry around their trunk is more important in tracking body fatness.

“We know that visceral adipose tissue – the fat around the organs in the abdomen – is very active and contains a lot of inflammatory factors that can cause cardiovascular disease.”

Two out of three adults in the UK are either overweight or obese while heart and circulatory diseases cause a quarter of all UK deaths, claiming almost 500 lives a day.

The research, which is being presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in Barcelona, showed those with the biggest waistlines were 3.21 times more likely to suffer heart failure.

Those with the worst waist to hip ratio – another way to measure the belly – were 3.34 times more likely to suffer heart problems as slimmer specimens.

By comparison, those in the highest quintile group for BMI were 2.65 times more at risk of heart failure than those in the lowest.

Tam Fry, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said: “Ideally you should have a piece of tape measuring half your height somewhere handy in the bathroom.

“If it fits snugly around your bare waist you’re in a ‘healthy’ weight range.

“If it doesn’t, seriously consider cutting down on the sugary snacks which probably caused your spare tyre and sensibly reduce your risk of any heart problem,” he added.

The Oxford study also showed that every extra unit of BMI increased the chances of heart failure by nine per cent.

Heart failure is a long-term condition when the heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly. Symptoms include breathlessness after activity or at rest, feeling tired most of the time, feeling light headed or fainting and having swollen ankles and legs.

The correct point to measure the “waistline” is around the trunk about an inch above the belly button.

In Japan employers and local government must measure and record the waistlines annually of everyone aged 40 to 74. There is a state-prescribed limit for male waistlines of 33.5 inches.

Mr Fry added: “It’s that simple – there’s a law in Japan that gets the population to do it annually.”

Prof James Leiper, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: “A larger waist measurement is often a sign that you have too much visceral fat, which sits around our internal organs and impairs the way our heart and blood vessels function.

“Heart failure is a chronic and incurable condition that worsens over time, so these findings underline the importance of managing your weight now.

“People who carry more weight around the middle have an increased risk of higher cholesterol, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes. These risk factors are all closely linked with heart and circulatory diseases, which then increase the risk of heart failure.”