Overview
- Effects were strongest in men, with pronounced changes in the right ventricle and additional subtle tissue alterations visible only with advanced imaging.
- Associations between abdominal obesity and adverse cardiac structure remained after adjusting for hypertension, smoking, diabetes, and cholesterol.
- BMI more often aligned with enlarged heart chambers, whereas waist-to-hip ratio tracked with thicker myocardium and smaller chamber volumes.
- Participants were ages 46 to 78 without known cardiovascular disease from the Hamburg City Health Study, and the findings were presented at RSNA 2025.
- Researchers recommend routine waist-to-hip measurement and early steps to limit visceral fat; WHO flags ratios above 0.90 for men and 0.85 for women.