Large Waists May Bring Early Death for Women
Posted on: Wednesday, 23 April 2008, 00:30 CDT
A large U.S. study suggests that women with larger waist measurements, regardless of weight, may die of cancer and heart disease earlier than their small-waisted counterparts.The findings support previous evidence that when it comes to health risks, the location of fat on the body is more important that a person’s overall weight.
Excess abdominal fat is believed to be especially unhealthy because of its metabolic effects on the body. Too much abdominal fat seems to raise cholesterol levels, promote insulin resistance and spur body-wide inflammation, which is thought to contribute to heart disease and certain cancers.
Past studies have found that "apple-shaped" people, who carry fat around their abdomen, appear to be at particular risk of high blood pressure, clogged arteries and diabetes. Abdominal obesity has also been linked to certain cancers, such as colon and kidney cancer.
The new study, conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Harvard Medical School, found that women middle-aged and older with a waistline of 35 inches or more were more likely than their thinner counterparts to die of cancer or heart disease during the study period.
The researchers tracked more than 44,000 U.S . women over 16 years, and found that abdominal obesity doubled the odds of dying from heart disease or stroke, compared with women whose waistlines were smaller than 28 inches.
The study further found that women with the largest waists had a 63 percent higher risk of death from cancer than women with the smallest waists.
Interestingly, the study found the risks of a large waist were independent of a woman's overall body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight in relation to height. The study’s results showed that even normal-weight women with waistlines of 35 inches or more experience a greater risk of dying from heart disease or stroke.
According to the research team, led by Dr. Cuilin Zhang of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the results demonstrate how important it is to stay trim around the middle as we age.
"Although maintaining a healthy weight should continue to be a cornerstone in the prevention of chronic diseases and premature death," Zhang and colleagues wrote in a report about the study.
"it is equally important to maintain a healthy waist size and prevent abdominal obesity."
The study was reported in the medical journal Circulation.
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ABSTRACT: “Abdominal Obesity and the Risk of All-Cause, Cardiovascular, and Cancer Mortality”
Circulation
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Harvard Medical School
Source: redOrbit Staff and Wire Reports
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