Seniors'waist size may be linked to increased heart failure risk

Older Americans who find their waistband tightening may be at risk for needing homecare or other medical care, as a recent study suggests a link between increased waist size and a higher risk of heart failure.


Scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center studied two more than 80,000 Swedish men and women, and found that women with a normal body mass index whose waist measurements were 4 inches more than

average had a 15 percent higher rate of heart failure, and men with normal BMI who had a similar increased waist measurement increased their heart failure risk by 16 percent.


The study also found that for every one-unit increase in BMI, men increased their heart failure risk by 4 percent, although for women it was only linked to a larger waist size.


"By any measure – BMI, waist circumference, waist to hip ratio or waist to height ratio –our findings showed that excess body weight was associated with higher rates of heart failure," says lead author Dr Emily Levitan.


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