What having a beer belly really says about your health
Health experts reveal the true impact of having a beer belly
- A study has found that abdominal obesity, commonly known as a "beer belly", is more likely to cause heart damage than fat in other body locations, especially in men.
- Tummy fat can lead to a pathological form of cardiac remodelling where the heart muscle thickens and its inner chambers become smaller, reducing the amount of blood it can pump and potentially leading to heart failure.
- Researchers analysed cardiovascular MRI images of 2,244 adults in Germany, noting that while BMI was linked to enlarged heart chambers, abdominal obesity was associated with thickened heart muscle and smaller chamber volumes.
- The study revealed that these detrimental changes to heart structure were more prominent in men, even after accounting for other risk factors such as arterial hypertension, smoking, and diabetes.
- Experts suggest men are at a higher risk because they tend to store fat in their abdomen and around organs more readily than women, highlighting the importance of preventing abdominal fat accumulation through exercise and diet.