Research
Hormonal
Excess visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality, regardless of overall body mass index (BMI).
Focus on waist circumference, not just weight. If your waist is large, your visceral fat is likely high, which drives heart disease risk even if your BMI is normal. Measure your waist and aim to reduce it through lifestyle changes.
StrongSupportsHIGH confidence
Studies that quantify fat depots, including ectopic fat, support excess visceral adiposity as an independent indicator of poor cardiovascular outcomes.
Why this rating
Based on large prospective cohort studies, imaging studies, and meta-analyses cited.
Source
Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association
Tiffany M. Powell‐Wiley et al. · Circulation · 2021
DOI 10.1161/cir.0000000000000973
clinical_guidelineCited 3,438×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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