This rapid test could reveal whether you are at increased risk for heart health

A new study suggests that measuring waist circumference and the waist-to-hip ratio could provide more accurate insights into cardiovascular risk than body mass index (BMI). Researchers found that individuals with a seemingly healthy weight according to BMI might still have a significantly higher risk of heart disease due to central obesity, excess fat accumulation around the abdomen. The research, conducted by American scientists, analyzed data from over 260,000 participants and tracked their health outcomes over approximately two decades. The findings revealed that measurements related to abdominal fat, such as waist size and the waist-to-hip ratio, offer more reliable indicators of cardiovascular risk compared to BMI alone. This is particularly relevant because up to 18 percent of people classified as having a normal BMI were found to have concerning levels of central adiposity, with some even falling into the high-risk category based on these alternative metrics. Central obesity, characterized by the accumulation of visceral fat around internal organs like the liver and pancreas, has been linked to numerous health complications. The study showed that individuals with significantly elevated waist measurements or unfavorable waist-to-hip ratios had between 15 and 50 percent higher risks for most of the nine examined health outcomes. These included heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, and overall mortality. Michael J. Blaha, one of the study’s authors and director of clinical research at the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, noted that they observed individuals who appeared to have a normal weight but exhibited increased central adiposity and a high waist-to-hip ratio, which was associated with greater risk for most of the studied outcomes. He emphasized that this highlights the limitations of relying solely on BMI for assessing cardiovascular risk. Zeina Dardari, lead author of the study, warned that depending exclusively on BMI can lead to both overestimation and underestimation of health risks. She recommended that healthcare providers consider the distribution of body fat, regardless of BMI categories, when evaluating cardiovascular risk. Similarly, Harlan M. Krumholz, editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and a professor at Yale School of Medicine, stated that it's time to move beyond focusing solely on BMI. He stressed that simple measures like waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio should become part of routine cardiovascular risk assessments, emphasizing the importance of where body fat is located. To calculate the waist-to-hip ratio, two measurements are needed, a flexible tape measure. According to World Health Organization guidelines, waist circumference is measured at the midpoint between the lower end of the rib cage and the top of the iliac crest. Hip circumference is measured at the widest point of the hips. The ratio is obtained by dividing the waist measurement by the hip measurement. A ratio above 0.90 for men and 0.85 for women indicates central obesity according to established criteria.