Researchers Say Larger Midsections Could Increase Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death
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moodboard/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Researchers at the University of Minnesota say that those who carry excess weight around their waist and hips are at significantly higher risk of sudden cardiac death.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, involved researchers calculating a ratio of waist to hip size and found that both men and women with larger midsections may be at twice the risk of sudden cardiac death when compared to the average waist-to-hip ratio. The study looked at data from nearly 15,000 middle-aged Americans.
Researchers determined that cardiovascular disease, hypertension and diabetes did not factor into sudden cardiac death outcomes. Previous studies had hypothesized that the type of fat most commonly found in central obesity had a larger impact on metabolic abnormalities and inflammation that could contribute to sudden cardiac death.
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