Health
Banish belly fat and improve health
The way to a person’s heart may
be through his or her stomach
in more ways than one. Doctors
have tied heart health to the
abdomen, and having extra pounds
around one’s middle can be detrimental
to cardiovascular well-being.
Excess visceral fat in the belly,
something doctors refer to as “central
adiposity,” may have potentially dangerous
consequences. While the link
between belly fat and heart health
has long been associated with men,
women may be even more vulnerable
to the adverse health effects of belly
fat. A study published in March 2018
in the Journal of the American Heart
Association examined 500,000 people
between the ages of 40 and 69. Participants
had their body measurements
taken, and then were kept track of
for heart attack occurrence over the
next seven years. During that period,
the women who carried more weight
around their middles (measured by
waist circumference, waist-to-hip
ratio or waist-to-height ratio) had a
10 to 20 percent greater risk of heart
attack than women who were just
heavier over all.
Belly fat is particularly dangerous
because it doesn’t just include
the insulating, or subcutaneous, fat
under the skin. It is largely visceral
fat that also surrounds the organs
in the abdomen. Harvard Medical
School reports that visceral fat is
metabolically active and has been
strongly linked to a host of serious
diseases, including heart disease,
diabetes, cancer, and dementia. Visceral
COURIER L 38 IFE, FEB. 1–7, 2019 DT
fat is like an endocrine organ
that secretes hormones and a host of
other chemicals linked to diseases
that can affect adults. One substance
is called retinol-binding protein 4
(RBP4), which has been tied to an increased
risk of coronary heart disease.
In 2015, a study published in the
Annals of Internal Medicine found
that normal-weight people with excessive
belly fat had a higher risk of
dying of heart disease or any other
cause compared with people without
central obesity.
The online health and wellness resource
Medical News Today says doctors
determine belly fat to be a problem
when a woman’s waist measures
35 inches or more and a man’s 40
inches or more. MRIs also can be used
as a fat analyzer and will be judged on
a scale of 1 to 59. A measurement of 13
and under is desireable.
The Mayo Clinic advises that poor
diet and fi tness habits can contribute
to belly fat. As people age, they may
have to make more drastic changes
to their diets and exercise regimens
to counteract changes in their metabolisms.
Eliminating sugary beverages,
watching portion sizes, counting
calories, doing moderate aerobic
activity daily, and choosing healthier
foods can help tame visceral fat.
Also, doctors may recommend those
who are stressed to try stress-busting
techniques, as stress also may be
tied to excessive belly fat.
Belly fat should not be overlooked,
as its presence can greatly increase a
person’s risk for various diseases.
Doctors have tied heart health to the abdomen, and having extra pounds around one’s
middle can be detrimental to cardiovascular well-being.
oronary Artery Disease
(CAD) is the most common
form of heart disease,
claiming nearly 400,000
lives across the country each
year. CAD is a condition in
which the cardiac arteries
get clogged with plaque, a
substance made from various
materials that circulate in
the blood. Arterial plaque restricts
blood flow and oxygen
delivery to the heart, which
can lead to heart attacks.
Screening for CAD and, if indicated,
subsequent lifestyle
changes and medical therapy,
are key to keeping artery
blockage from progressing.
People who are overweight,
have a history of
smoking or a family history
of the disease are more likely
to develop CAD. Symptoms
include shortness of breath,
fatigue with exertion and
chest pain. However, especially
in the early stages of
blockage buildup in the arteries,
there are often no noticeable
symptoms, so routine
screenings are critical.
“Screenings such as blood
pressure tests and fasting
glucose and lipoprotein profiles
should be performed routinely.
They can give some insight
into a patient’s overall
coronary health,” said Robert
Tranbaugh, MD, chair of
the Department of Cardiothoracic
Surgery at NewYork
Presbyterian Brooklyn
Methodist. “However, these
are not enough for those patients
with suspected cardiac
symptoms.”
A stress test monitors
heart performance while
the patient performs an activity
that pushes the heart,
usually exercise. Although
a stress test can provide cardiologists
with information
about the heart’s rhythm
and ability to pump blood, it
cannot produce a visual image
of the arteries. A more
advanced diagnostic procedure,
cardiac computed tomography
(CT) is a noninvasive
test that allows direct
visualization of the artery
and the degree of blockage
present. It is also a great option
for those patients who
are unable to exercise during
a conventional stress test.
During a cardiac CT
scan, iodine-based dye is injected
into the patient’s blood
stream. The patient is then
placed inside a circular x-ray
scanner that captures thousands
of cross-sectional images
or “slices” of the heart.
Using sophisticated digital
imaging software, these
slices are combined into a
three-dimensional-rendered
image of the heart and its
arteries. Cardiologists can
then use these images to find
artery blockages indicative
of coronary artery disease.
The test takes only a few minutes.
There are several approaches
to treatment for
CAD. Lifestyle change is a
long-term component. This
includes eating a hearthealthy
diet high in lean
proteins, fruits, vegetables
and whole grains, getting
regular exercise, managing
weight and quitting smoking.
A physician may also
prescribe medication to help
manage cholesterol and prevent
blood clots. If a patient’s
CAD is severe enough, an interventional
procedure, such
as an angioplasty, which
widens the blocked artery,
may be recommended. Often,
though not always, during
an angioplasty, a small wire
mesh tube called a “stent”
is permanently placed in
the artery to prop it open. In
more severe cases of CAD,
coronary bypass surgery,
which reroutes blood around
the blocked artery, may be
indicated.
To schedule an appointment
with a physician affiliated
with NYP Brooklyn Methodist
Hospital, please call
718-499-2273 or visit www.nyp.
org/brooklyn.
/www.nyp
/www.nyp