A new study reveals link between extra belly fat and a greater risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, researchers say.
According to MedPage Today, scientists measured the "deviation increase in visceral adipose tissue" and the amount calculated was associated with a 44 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and a 43 percent greater risk of cancer.
"These results support the hypothesis that visceral fat may partially underlie the association of clinical adiposity measures with cardiovascular disease and cancer," researchers wrote.
The findings were published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology:
"Adipokines, biologically active molecules secreted from adipose tissue, are key components of these pathways and include inflammatory cytokines, angiogenic factors, lipid metabolites, and extracellular matrix components," the authors wrote.
"Adipokine secretion appears to differ between specific fat depots with visceral adipose tissue demonstrating greater expression of pro-inflammatory and proangiogenic genes compared with subcutaneous adipose tissue."
"Furthermore, arterioles within visceral adipose tissue compared with subcutaneous adipose tissue were more likely to exhibit endothelial dysfunction, suggesting a potential toxic effect of visceral adipose tissue on the vasculature."
Data was collected from 3,086 people (mean age 50.2; 49% female) volunteering to particiapte in a substudy of the Framingham Heart Study Offspring and Third Generation groups, MedPage Today reports. Participants were measured of their fat depots by multidetector CT and had no "cardiovascular disease and cancer at the time of imaging."
The average body mass index (BMI) at baseline was 27.7 kg/m2.
"The improved prediction of cardiovascular risk that resulted from the addition of visceral adipose tissue to a model containing standard risk factors contrasted with prior research showing that the addition of waist circumference does not improve risk prediction," the authors wrote.
Researchers took note of the changes, and offered an explanation about their calculations.
"One potential explanation is that waist circumference is a surrogate marker of visceral adiposity and reflects both subcutaneous adipose tissue and visceral adipose tissue," they wrote.
To read MedPage Today's full study report, click here.
