Researchers have challenged our previous understanding that people with more fat around their waist, often known as 'apple shape', are at greater risk of a heart attack than those who carry fat elsewhere on the body.
The new study, which we part-funded, suggests that general obesity - measured by body mass index - has a similar impact on your risk of having a heart attack as the fat carried around our waist.
Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: "Regardless of how you measure it, being obese is bad for your heart. This study suggests that measuring your waist is no better than calculating your BMI but it's not time to throw away the tape measure just yet.
"We tend to underestimate our body shape and size, so measuring our waist or checking our BMI are both quick and easy ways we can check our health at home. "We should also remember there are other heart risk factors we need to think about too, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and smoking.
"Anyone over 40 who's worried about their waist measurement or BMI should ask at their GP surgery for a heart health assessment, which will take into account all cardiovascular risk factors and provide practical advice on how you can reduce your risk."
The study, which was co-funded with the Medical Research Council, was carried out by the Emerging Risk Factors Coalition based at the University of Cambridge. It is published online today in The Lancet.
Source
British Heart Foundation
The new study, which we part-funded, suggests that general obesity - measured by body mass index - has a similar impact on your risk of having a heart attack as the fat carried around our waist.
Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: "Regardless of how you measure it, being obese is bad for your heart. This study suggests that measuring your waist is no better than calculating your BMI but it's not time to throw away the tape measure just yet.
"We tend to underestimate our body shape and size, so measuring our waist or checking our BMI are both quick and easy ways we can check our health at home. "We should also remember there are other heart risk factors we need to think about too, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and smoking.
"Anyone over 40 who's worried about their waist measurement or BMI should ask at their GP surgery for a heart health assessment, which will take into account all cardiovascular risk factors and provide practical advice on how you can reduce your risk."
The study, which was co-funded with the Medical Research Council, was carried out by the Emerging Risk Factors Coalition based at the University of Cambridge. It is published online today in The Lancet.
Source
British Heart Foundation
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