News

Abdominal obesity plus high triglycerides can add up to increased health risks

July 19, 2010

By Patricia Nicholson

Obesity is unhealthy in general, but some types of fat buildup make it particularly hazardous to the health. New research may make it easier to identify the most dangerous types of fat: a new study found that people with a large waistline combined with high triglycerides in the blood may be at increased risk.

Intra-abdominal fat that builds up around the vital organs in the abdominal cavity is known as visceral adipose tissue (which means fat around the viscera, or organs). There is a close link between this type of fat and metabolic and cardiac health risks such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. This is why waist circumference is often used to help identify patients at high risk for cardiac and metabolic diseases.

However, simple waist measurement cannot differentiate between visceral adipose tissue and the less dangerous form of belly fat called subcutaneous fat, which lies under the skin and not around the internal organs.

Results of a new study suggest that levels of triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood) above a certain threshold indicate that belly fat is likely visceral, as opposed to subcutaneous. The combination of large waist circumference and high triglycerides was identified as a high risk factor for coronary artery disease.

The research is based on data from the EPIC-Norfolk study, which included men and women ages 45 to 79. The researchers used information on 21,787 of these subjects, who were followed for 10 years. During the followup period, 2,109 people developed coronary artery disease.

Large waist circumference was defined as 85 centimetres (approximately 33.5 inches) or more in women and 90 centimetres (approximately 35.5 inches) or more in men.

High triglyceride levels were defined as 1.5 millimoles per litre (mmol/L) in women and 2 millimoles per litre in men.

Study participants who had the large waist/high triglyceride risk profile had higher blood pressure, lower levels of “good” cholesterol and higher levels of “bad” cholesterol than people who did not have this risk profile.

The researchers concluded that using the combination of large waist circumference and high triglyceride level might be a simple way to identify patients who are likely to have dangerous intra-abdominal fat, and who may therefore be at elevated risk for coronary heart disease.

The study was published in CMAJ on July 19, 2010.

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