Synopsis
A recent study indicates that hidden fat within muscles elevates the risk of heart disease, hospitalizations, and mortality, regardless of BMI. This finding underscores the inadequacy of traditional risk assessment methods like body mass index in gauging heart health.Key Takeaways
- Intermuscular fat correlates with heart disease risk.
- Traditional metrics like BMI may not accurately reflect heart health.
- Higher levels of intermuscular fat lead to increased CMD risk.
- Lean muscle mass is associated with a lower risk of heart issues.
- Researchers are exploring treatment options to combat fatty muscles.
New Delhi, Jan 20 (NationPress) Individuals harboring hidden fat within their muscles face an elevated risk of mortality or hospitalization due to heart attacks or heart failure, independent of their body mass index, as per a study released on Monday.
This recent research, featured in the European Heart Journal, reinforces the notion that traditional metrics like BMI or waist circumference fall short in effectively assessing heart disease risks across different populations.
The findings indicated that those with significant intermuscular fat were more prone to experiencing damage to the tiny blood vessels supplying the heart, known as coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD). Consequently, these individuals were also at a heightened risk of mortality or hospitalization due to heart disease.
Notably, those exhibiting elevated levels of intermuscular fat alongside signs of CMD faced an even greater threat of death, heart attacks, and heart failure. "Recognizing that intermuscular fat heightens heart disease risk provides an additional means of identifying high-risk individuals, regardless of their BMI," stated Professor Viviany Taqueti, Director of the Cardiac Stress Laboratory at Brigham and Women's Hospital in the US.
This study evaluated muscle and fat types in 669 participants to discern how body composition impacts the heart's microcirculation and the subsequent risk of heart failure, heart attack, and mortality.
Over a follow-up period of around six years, researchers monitored heart functionality while employing CT scans to assess each patient’s body composition, including the quantity and distribution of fat and muscle within their torso.
The team also calculated the ratio of intermuscular fat to total muscle and fat, termed the fatty muscle fraction. They discovered that a 1% increase in fatty muscle fraction correlated with a 2% rise in CMD risk and a 7% increase in the risk of serious future heart disease, irrespective of other known risk factors and BMI.
Contrarily, individuals with greater lean muscle mass exhibited a reduced risk. Interestingly, fat accumulated beneath the skin, known as subcutaneous fat, did not elevate the risk.
Professor Taqueti explained, "In comparison to subcutaneous fat, fat located in muscles could be driving inflammation and disrupting glucose metabolism, resulting in insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.
These persistent factors can ultimately inflict damage on blood vessels, including those nourishing the heart and the heart muscle itself," she added.
The research team is currently evaluating various treatment strategies, including exercise, nutritional adjustments, weight-loss medications, or surgical options, aimed at modifying body composition and addressing metabolic heart disease to mitigate risks for individuals with fatty muscles.
