• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Resource Centers
    • Clinical Trials Resource Center
    • Wellness on the Yard
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Covid Resource Center
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / Health Conditions / Heart Health / Love Handles Or Spare Tire: Which Is Worse For Your Heart?

Love Handles Or Spare Tire: Which Is Worse For Your Heart?

Doctor taking measures of overweight mid-adult womanBelly fat — especially hidden fat deep in the gut — may indicate increased risk for heart disease, a new study suggests.

The six-year study of more than 1,000 adults found people with a “spare tire” in their midsection had a greater risk for heart disease compared to those with visible flab elsewhere under the skin — or “love handles.”

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Top 10 Filling Foods For Weight Loss

“Adipose tissue [fat in the stomach] along with fat below the skin has been associated with abnormalities, including high triglyceride levels, low HDL levels [good cholesterol], high blood pressure and greater risk of diabetes,” said Dr. Gregg Fonarow. He is a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and had no part in the new study but is familiar with the findings.

The study looked at abdominal fat quantity and quality.

You May Also Like
View Our Resources To Better Understand How Clinical Trials May Help Advance Research

The researchers cautioned, however, that the study only showed an association between belly fat and potential heart disease, not that belly fat causes heart disease.

Fonarow said perhaps deep abdominal fat is unhealthier because it might increase insulin resistance, which can lead to high blood sugar and type 2 diabetes.

“This study suggests individuals even with a body mass index in the normal or overweight category but who have increased abdominal mass — a pot belly — may be at increased cardiovascular risk,” Fonarow said.

The study was led by Dr. Caroline Fox, a former senior investigator for the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. She and her team collected data on 1,106 men and women, average age 45, who took part in the long-running Framingham Heart Study. All agreed to have their stomachs scanned to determine the amount of their belly fat.

You May Also Like
13 Signs You Need to See a Dermatologist

Over six years, the researchers found that increases in the amount of fat and decreases in fat density were linked with changes in the risk for heart disease. Each additional pound of fat was associated with newly developed high blood pressure, high triglycerides and metabolic syndrome, which includes high cholesterol and increased odds of type 2 diabetes, the researchers said.

Although increased fat was linked to new and worsening heart disease risk factors overall, the risk was greater for fat inside the abdomen, compared with fat just under the skin, the researchers said.

People whose deep stomach fat increased had significant rises in high blood sugar, high triglycerides and low levels of HDL cholesterol, Fox’s team said. These associations remained significant even after the researchers accounted for changes in weight and waist size.

The report was published Sept. 26 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Some experts say…

Continue Reading

The Latest In Heart Health

congestive heart failure

I Survived: Managing Congestive Heart Failure

Did you know? Hypertension is the most predominant risk factor for heart failure in Blacks, and aggressive management of hypertension may substantially reduce the incidence and consequences of heart failure in our community. Hypertension can be caused by high blood read more about I Survived: Managing Congestive Heart Failure
how to lower your cholesterol naturally

How To Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally

One of the major risk factors for heart disease is high total blood cholesterol. Blood cholesterol is found in every body cell. It is a major component of all cell membranes and is used to make essential molecules such as read more about How To Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally
lipoprotein a

What is Lipoprotein(a) and Should You be Tested For it?

(Content sponsored by Amgen) We’ve all heard of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol.1 But did you know there is another lipoprotein particle that is rarely screened for and disproportionately affects African Americans at high levels? High circulating read more about What is Lipoprotein(a) and Should You be Tested For it?
blood pressure

Blood Pressure: What Do the Numbers Mean and Why Do They Matter?

It's a standard part of any medical visit. Someone, typically a nurse, wraps a cuff around your arm and asks you to sit quietly while the cuff squeezes to the point of discomfort, then slowly eases its grip. Some numbers read more about Blood Pressure: What Do the Numbers Mean and Why Do They Matter?
ways to lower cholesterol

7 Ways To Lower Your Cholesterol Every Time You Eat

Have you ever wondered how the foods you eat could impact your cholesterol? One of many known truths is this: a diet rich in fiber can lower cholesterol to healthier levels. But fewer than 5 percent of average American adults read more about 7 Ways To Lower Your Cholesterol Every Time You Eat
superfoods heart disease

10 Superfoods To Ward Off Heart Disease

Give your heart a boost and prevent cardiovascular diseases like stroke and heart disease by chowing down on superfoods. Aim for foods rich in nutrients, fiber and healthy fats. RELATED: 10 Delicious Foods That Can Strengthen Your Heart Check out the read more about 10 Superfoods To Ward Off Heart Disease

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • Lionel Richie Shares His Top 3 ‘Anti-Aging Secrets’Lionel Richie Shares His Top 3 ‘Anti-Aging Secrets’
  • Angela Bassett 7-Year Journey to Parenthood: Enjoy the JourneyAngela Bassett 7-Year Journey to Parenthood: Enjoy the Journey
  • YouTuber and Relationship ‘Expert’ Kevin Samuels Cause of Death RevealedYouTuber and Relationship 'Expert' Kevin Samuels Cause of Death Revealed
  • ‘COVID Toes’ Might Be a Sign You Had the Disease'COVID Toes' Might Be a Sign You Had the Disease
  • Football Legend & Coach Deion Sanders Has Toes AmputatedFootball Legend & Coach Deion Sanders Has Toes Amputated

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2023, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.