Overview

• Analysis of 21,241 UK Biobank participants used whole‑body and cardiac MRI with AI to assign a heart age indicating tissue stiffness and inflammation.
• Greater visceral fat around internal organs was associated with older‑than‑expected heart age, even in people who appear fit or have a healthy BMI.
• Sex‑specific patterns emerged: abdominal fat predicted earlier heart aging in men, while hip and thigh fat was protective in women.
• Higher oestrogen levels in premenopausal women correlated with slower heart aging, and blood tests linked visceral fat with systemic inflammation.
• The study is observational; researchers plan follow‑up work, including tests of GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs, to assess whether reducing visceral fat lowers heart‑aging markers.