Schematic overview of carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) measurement utilizing ultrasound (prime) and carotid wall quantity (CWV) measurement utilizing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; backside). Credit score: Communications Drugs (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s43856-025-01123-y
A brand new examine led by researchers at McMaster College reveals that hidden fats deep contained in the stomach and liver might quietly injury arteries, even in individuals who seem wholesome.
The findings, printed in Communications Drugs, problem the long-standing reliance on body-mass index (BMI) as a measure of weight problems and supply contemporary perception into how hidden fats contributes to coronary heart illness.
Visceral fats (the sort that wraps round inside organs) and hepatic fats (fats saved within the liver) are identified to extend kind 2 diabetes, hypertension, and coronary heart illness threat—however their results on artery well being was much less identified.
Utilizing superior MRI imaging and information from over 33,000 adults in Canada and the UK, researchers discovered that visceral and hepatic fats are strongly linked to the thickening and clogging of carotid arteries within the neck. These arteries provide blood to the mind, and their narrowing is a key predictor of stroke and coronary heart assault.
“This study shows that even after accounting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors like cholesterol and blood pressure, visceral and liver fat still contribute to artery damage,” says Russell de Souza, co-lead creator of the examine and affiliate professor within the Division of Well being Analysis Strategies, Proof, and Impression at McMaster.
“The findings are a wake-up call for clinicians and the public alike,” says de Souza, a school member within the Mary Heersink College of International Well being and Social Drugs, and member of the Middle for Metabolism, Weight problems and Diabetes Analysis (MODR) at McMaster. de Souza led the examine with Marie Pigeyre, affiliate professor within the Division of Drugs at McMaster.
The analysis crew analyzed information from two main cohorts: the Canadian Alliance for Wholesome Hearts and Minds (CAHHM) and the UK Biobank, utilizing MRI scans to measure fats distribution and artery well being.
They discovered that visceral fats was constantly related to carotid plaque buildup and artery wall thickening, whereas liver fats confirmed a weaker however nonetheless important hyperlink. Importantly, these associations held even after the researchers adjusted for life-style and metabolic threat components.
The implications are far-reaching. For clinicians, it underscores the necessity to transcend BMI and waist circumference and take into account imaging-based assessments of fats distribution. For middle-aged adults, it is a reminder that hidden fats, not simply seen weight, can silently enhance cardiovascular threat.
“You can’t always tell by looking at someone whether they have visceral or liver fat,” says Sonia Anand, corresponding creator of the examine, a vascular medication specialist at Hamilton Well being Sciences and professor within the Division of Drugs at McMaster.
“This kind of fat is metabolically active and dangerous; it’s linked to inflammation and artery damage even in people who aren’t visibly overweight. That’s why it’s so important to rethink how we assess obesity and cardiovascular risk.”
Extra data:
Visceral adipose tissue and hepatic fats as determinants of carotid atherosclerosis, Communications Drugs (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s43856-025-01123-y. www.nature.com/articles/s43856-025-01123-y
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‘Skinny fats’ linked to silent artery injury (2025, October 17)
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