Abdominal Fat, Neck Width and High Blood Pressure

12 March 2009 3 Comments

A slender neck and trim waist are typically considered attractive- but did you know that these characteristics may also indicate a healthier heart? Researchers have unveiled evidence that abdominal and neck fat can be tied to blood pressure, cholesterol and overall cardiovascular health.

Researchers from the Framingham Heart Study, who presented their findings at an American Heart Association meeting, studied over 3,000 men and women with an average age of 51. They found that for about every 3cm of neck circumference there was a noticeable decrease in the amount of good cholesterol in the participant’s blood. Blood glucose also rose for every 3cm of neck circumference. These problems compounded when a thick neck was accompanied by a thick waist. The scientists behind the study speculated that neck fat may simply be a rough measurement of overall upper body fat, which has already been generally associated with heart risks.

Abdominal fat, specifically visceral fat which surrounds abdominal organs, has been tied to increased risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and, in women, breast cancer and gallbladder surgeries. Research seems to indicate that the waist-to-hip ratio plays an important role, such that a big waist with big hips was not as dangerous as a big waist and small hips. One study which tracked just over 24,000 participants for over 9 years on average, found that those with the highest waist-to-hip ratio (big waist in relation to hips) had a significant increase in their risk of developing coronary heart disease. For study participants with waist-to-hip ratios in the top 20%, there was a 55% higher risk of heart disease for men and 91% more for women when compared to the bottom 20%.

If you would like to learn more, please visit:

“Abdominal fat and what to do about it” Harvard Women’s Health Watch, December 2006. Available online from the Harvard Health Publications website at https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Abdominal-fat-and-what-to-do-about-it.htm.

“Abdominal Fat Distribution Predicts Heart Disease, Study Shows.” American Heart Association. ScienceDaily. 11 December 2007. Available online at http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2007/12/071210163211.htm.

“‘Fat neck’ a clue to heart risk” Story from BBC NEWS. Published: 2009/03/12. Available online at

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7935635.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7935635.stm

3 Comments »

Terrell Sinegal said:

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# 7 April 2010 at 2:43 am

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# 16 August 2011 at 11:25 pm

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