Excessive amounts of visceral fat - nan hidden fat surrounding organs - is linked pinch faster aging of nan heart, a caller study has found.
aging is nan biggest consequence facet for bosom disease, but why immoderate group property faster than others isn't afloat understood. The scientists starring nan investigation opportunity that visceral assemblage fat could play an important domiciled successful accelerating aging of nan bosom and humor vessels. This type of fat is known to beryllium harmful to wellness and this study now links it to faster bosom aging.
The study, led by scientists from nan Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Medical Sciences, successful London, UK, besides recovered differences betwixt men and women, and discovered that fat astir nan hips and thighs could perchance slow bosom aging successful women.
In nan study, published successful nan European Heart Journal, nan scientists analysed information from 21,241 participants successful UK Biobank, which includes full assemblage imaging to representation nan magnitude of fat and wherever it is located successful nan body.
The UK Biobank information besides includes elaborate imaging of nan bosom and humor vessels. Artificial intelligence was utilized to analyse these images to seizure signs of organ aging - specified arsenic tissues becoming stiff and inflamed. An individual was fixed a "heart age" which tin beryllium compared to their existent property astatine nan clip of nan scan.
The researchers recovered that faster bosom aging was linked to having much visceral adipose tissue. Visceral adipose insubstantial is fat recovered heavy wrong nan abdomen astir organs specified arsenic nan stomach, intestines, and liver. This type of fat cannot beryllium seen from nan outside, and immoderate group tin person ample amounts of visceral fat contempt having a patient weight.
The researchers recovered signs connected humor tests that visceral fat is linked to accrued inflammation successful nan assemblage – which is simply a imaginable origin of premature aging.
They besides recovered differences betwixt nan sexes. Male-type fat distribution (fat astir nan belly, often called 'apple' shaped) was peculiarly predictive of early aging successful men.
In contrast, a familial predisposition to female-type fat (fat connected nan hips and thighs, often called "pear" shaped) was protective against bosom aging successful women.
The researchers besides recovered a nexus betwixt higher oestrogen levels successful premenopausal women and a slowing of bosom aging, which they propose could bespeak a domiciled for hormones successful protecting against bosom aging.
Professor Declan O'Regan, who led nan investigation astatine nan MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences and Imperial College London, and is nan British Heart Foundation Professor of Cardiovascular AI, said: "We person known astir nan pome and pear favoritism successful assemblage fat, but it hasn't been clear really it leads to mediocre wellness outcomes. Our investigation shows that "bad" fat, hidden heavy astir nan organs, accelerates aging of nan heart. But immoderate types of fat could protect against aging– specifically fat astir nan hips and thighs successful women."
"We besides showed that BMI wasn't a bully measurement of predicting bosom property which underscores nan value of knowing wherever fat is stored successful nan assemblage and not conscionable full assemblage weight."
"The extremity of our investigation is to find ways to summation patient lifespan. While being progressive is important, we recovered that hidden fat could still beryllium harmful moreover successful fresh people. In nan early we scheme to analyse really supplier therapies, specified arsenic GLP-1 inhibitors (e.g. Ozempic) could amended not conscionable glucosuria and obesity, but target nan aging effects of hidden visceral fat."
This study was funded by nan Medical Research Council, British Heart Foundation, and nan National Institute for Health and Care Research Imperial College Biomedical Research Centre.
Professor Bryan Williams OBE, main technological and aesculapian serviceman astatine nan British Heart Foundation said: "We already cognize excess visceral fat astir nan bosom and liver tin lead to accrued humor unit and precocious cholesterol, truthful it is concerning that it could besides thief to velocity up aging of nan bosom and humor vessels.
"As nan shape of fat distribution typically seen successful women's bodies is linked to oestrogen, that hormone whitethorn beryllium cardinal to early therapies developed to tackle bosom aging.
"Eating a healthier fare and becoming much progressive tin thief to trim visceral fat levels."
Source:
Journal reference:
Losev, N., et al. (2025) Sex-specific assemblage fat distribution predicts cardiovascular ageing. European Heart Journal. doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf553