Among type 2 diabetics, carrying excess weight on the belly is a bigger heart disease risk factor than BMI.

This study was released at the American College of Cardiology conference in Chicago and was conducted on 200 people with type 2 diabetes who didn’t show any symptoms of heart disease. The scientists found that people with a larger waist circumference were more likely than smaller-bellied individuals to have a problem with the heart’s left ventricle. The left ventricle is responsible for pumping oxygen rich blood to the brain and the remainder of the body. According to doctor Boaz Rosen from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, “We specifically found that waist circumference appears to be a stronger predictor for left ventricle dysfunction than total body weight or body mass index”.

Researchers have known for a long time that the more overweight a person is, the greater their risk of heart disease. This has usually been measured via BMI (Body Mass Index). They have also known that apple shaped people, or those who carry excess weight on their torso are at higher risk of having high blood sugar, high cholesterol and having a heart attack. Of course, there are also slim people who suffer from all these conditions, but they aren’t as common.

It is interesting to see that diabetics who are apple shaped are particularly prone to developing problems with the left side of their heart. Left ventricle problems can eventually lead to congestive heart failure. This is where the heart becomes too weak to pump blood around the body properly.

If you are concerned about diabetes or heart disease, see our books Diabetes Type 2: You Can Reverse It and Cholesterol: The Real Truth.

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