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2d ago

Waist-to-Height Ratio Found to Strongly Predict Heart Failure Risk

New research highlights waist-to-height ratio as a more accurate measure of central adiposity and heart failure risk than BMI, with plans for broader validation studies underway.

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Where the fat is distributed in the body has a larger impact on heart health than overall body weight.
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Waist and height measurements predict heart failure risk better than BMI: Study

Overview

  • Researchers from Lund University and Malmö University Hospital analyzed data from 1,792 participants in the Malmö Preventive Project over a median follow-up of 12.6 years.
  • Higher waist-to-height ratios were linked to a 34% increased risk of heart failure per standard deviation increase, independent of other health factors.
  • Participants in the highest waist-to-height ratio quartile (median 0.65) had a 2.7-fold higher risk of heart failure compared to those in lower quartiles.
  • Unlike BMI, waist-to-height ratio directly reflects harmful visceral fat and avoids the 'obesity paradox,' making it a more biologically consistent predictor of heart failure risk.
  • The research team plans to expand studies to larger and more diverse populations to validate waist-to-height ratio's predictive role for other cardiometabolic diseases.