Your waistline could reveal a hidden heart risk your BMI misses, major study finds - Fox News

“A large, multi‑center cohort study published this week found that waist circumference—a direct measure of abdominal (visceral) fat—predicts cardiovascular events and mortality more accurately than body‑mass index (BMI) alone. Researchers analyzed data from over 300,000 U.S. adults and observed that individuals with a waistline exceeding gender‑specific thresholds faced a 20‑30% higher risk of heart attack or stroke, even when their BMI was in the normal range. The findings suggest that clinicians should incorporate waist measurements into routine risk assessments and that public‑health guidelines may need to shift focus from weight alone to central adiposity. For U.S. consumers, this could mean more personalized screening recommendations and potential changes to insurance wellness incentives that currently emphasize BMI. Expert Analysis: By spotlighting waist circumference, the study challenges the entrenched reliance on BMI, opening a pathway for insurers and employers to adopt more nuanced health‑risk models. As abdominal obesity is closely linked to diet and sedentary lifestyles prevalent in the U.S., addressing it could curb the rising cost burden of cardiovascular disease, which currently exceeds $200 billion annually.”