Study Links Body Size to Heart Disease

Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston have found a strong correlation between high waist-to-hip ratios in middle-aged women and risk for heart disease, according to a new study in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Although this correlation, commonly known as the apple/pear debate, has been researched before, the new study goes into further depth, said lead author Katherine Rexrode.

Researchers analyzed waist-to-hip circumference ratios of 44,702 women aged 40 to 65 years and found that women with high ratios-- from 0.88 and up--were three times more likely to develop heart disease than those with low ratios.

"The apple-shaped woman, one who has a high waist-to-hip ratio, tends to have higher levels of detrimental cholesterol, higher levels of male hormones which cause negative metabolic effects on the body," Rexrode said.

Obesity is an important factor in predicting heart disease risk, Rexrode acknowledges, but, she said, the new data shows that it is the distribution of the fat on a woman's body that is the ultimate indicator.

Rexrode said she and her affiliates hope that, armed with the new data, doctors will be able to identify risk in their patients by simply taking their measurements during routine visits.

If risk is identified early, doctors may be able to prevent heart disease by prescribing exercise, which may help to redistribute weight.