A new study finds people with pockets of fat inside their muscles are at increased risk of hospitalization of death from heart attack.
Belly fat isn’t the only body fat that may increase your risk of serious heart disease.
A new study finds people with pockets of fat inside their muscles have higher odds of hospitalization or death from heart attack — or heart failure.
The study included 669 adults who experienced chest pain and/or shortness of breath but showed no evidence of coronary artery disease. They underwent a series of scans to evaluate their heart function and measure the amount and location of fat and muscle in their torso.
About six years later, participants with fatty muscles were more likely to have damage to the tiny blood vessels that serve the heart. They were also more likely to be hospitalized or die from heart disease – regardless of body mass index.
In contrast, people with more lean muscle were at lower risk.
The researchers believe fat stored in muscles may increase inflammation and alter glucose metabolism, leading to metabolic syndrome.
The lead author says the next step is figuring out how to lower these risks.
“For example, we don’t know how treatments such as new weight-loss therapies affect fat in the muscles relative to fat elsewhere in the body, lean tissue, and ultimately the heart,” says Viviany Taqueti, MD, MPH.
She and her team are currently looking at the impact of exercise, nutrition and GLP-1 weight-loss drugs on body composition and heart disease.
Source: European Heart Journal
Author Affiliations: Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
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