Health
Men with ‘beer bellies’ may face serious heart damage regardless of weight
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People with “beer bellies” may have an increased risk of heart damage, raising fresh concerns about the health risks tied to extra weight around the midsection.
German researchers found that men with fat deposits around the abdomen showed clear signs of early heart damage, even when their overall weight wasn’t especially high.
Scientists wanted to better understand whether abdominal fat — the kind stored deep around internal organs — is more harmful to the heart than general body fat.
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Doctors have long suspected that fat distribution, not just total pounds, plays a major role in heart disease. This study tested that idea using cardiac MRI scans.
“Abdominal obesity, a high waist-to-hip ratio, is associated with more concerning cardiac remodeling patterns than high body mass index (BMI) alone,” said study lead author Jennifer Erley, M.D., radiology resident at University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany, in a press release.
Men with higher waist-to-hip ratios showed early signs of heart damage even when their overall weight wasn’t very high. (iStock)
The research team examined 2,244 adults between the ages of 46 and 78, none of whom had been diagnosed with heart disease. Each participant underwent high-resolution MRI scans that measured the size, thickness and volume of the heart’s chambers.
Researchers also collected detailed health information, including weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking status and diabetes history.
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Instead of relying solely on BMI, which can miss where fat is stored, the team used a measurement of waist-to-hip ratio, which compares the circumference of the waist to the hips and determines how much fat sits around the abdomen.
High ratios point to visceral fat, which is the deeper, metabolically active fat linked to inflammation and organ stress.
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Men with higher waist-to-hip ratios showed a pattern of thicker heart muscles and smaller internal chamber volume. That means the heart muscle becomes bulkier but holds less blood, forcing it to work harder, according to the researchers.
Cardiac MRI scans revealed thicker heart walls and smaller chamber volume in people with excess belly fat. (iStock)
“[Abdominal obesity] appears to lead to a potentially pathological form of cardiac remodeling,” said Erley.
Based on BMI alone, 69% of males and 56% of females in the study were overweight or obese. Using waist-to-hip ratio, however, 91% of the males and 64% of females met the criteria for obesity.
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General obesity based on BMI was more often linked to enlarged heart chambers for all participants. Abdominal obesity was associated with thickening of the heart muscle and smaller heart chamber volumes.
Over time, those structural changes can lead to heart failure or other cardiovascular problems, the researchers warned.
“[Abdominal obesity] appears to lead to a potentially pathological form of cardiac remodeling.”
These associations remained strong even after researchers accounted for age, smoking, blood pressure and other risk factors.
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The same trend appeared in women, but the effect was significantly stronger in men. Researchers noted that men tend to store fat in the abdomen more readily than women, especially as they age, which may explain the sharper impact.
The heart effect was strongest in men, likely due to differences in how men and women store fat. (iStock)
The findings help to clarify why some people with normal or moderately elevated BMI still develop heart disease, while others weighing more do not. It also suggests that simply stepping on a scale may not capture the full picture of heart risk.
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The study did have some limitations, primarily that it was observational in design, meaning that it identified patterns but could not prove direct causation.
Additionally, researchers did not follow participants long enough to see who eventually developed heart disease, they acknowledged.
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And waist-to-hip ratio, while useful, is a simplified measure that doesn’t capture all variations in body composition.
The findings are being presented this week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago.
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Just four minutes of daily strength exercises can dramatically improve mobility, balance and leg strength in older adults, per new research from the Penn State College of Medicine.
Standard public health guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. However, the study suggests that fewer than one in five older adults meet the recommended muscle-strengthening guidelines.
The research team designed a home-based program called Functional Activity Strength Training, or FAST-2. They evaluated 97 sedentary participants 65 and older, with an average age of 74.
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Before entering the study, these individuals were averaging just 18 minutes of total physical activity each week.
The older adults were randomly split into two groups, with one group performing the daily exercise routine and the other serving as a control group that received no intervention, according to the study’s press release.
Just four minutes of daily home strength training can significantly improve mobility, balance and leg strength in older adults, according to a Penn State College of Medicine study. (iStock)
Participants performed four basic movements for 30 seconds each, separated by 30-second rest intervals. The entire routine lasted exactly four minutes. The circuit consisted of push-ups, chair stands, two-arm resistance-band rows and stair stepping.
To keep the routine accessible, researchers provided written explanations and simple modifications. For example, participants could perform push-ups against a kitchen counter or wall, or use their hands on their knees for support during chair stands.
Participants were also given four elastic resistance bands and an adjustable step platform.
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“Exercise is actually really complicated, because you have to decide how many repetitions, how far, how many sets, how much rest and how many times per week,” co-author Smita Dandekar, associate professor of pediatrics at Penn State College of Medicine, said in the press release.
“It’s hard work … so if we can make it short, we’re part [of the] way there.”
The program consisted of four basic movements: push-ups, chair stands, resistance-band rows and stair stepping. (iStock)
As the participants grew stronger, they were encouraged to progress to higher levels of difficulty, such as transitioning away from modifications or increasing the height of the stepper.
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After 12 weeks, the results suggested that a tiny dose of regular exercise could yield noticeable physical benefits. In a 30-second chair-stand test, the exercise group performed an average of 4.2 more repetitions than the control group.
“These indicators … give you a sense of whether or not you’re going to be able to be active in the future.”
The adults doing the exercises also shaved 2.3 seconds off their time during a test measuring how they could stand up and sit down five times consecutively. Furthermore, they extended their one-legged balance time by an average of 3.6 seconds.
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The researchers emphasized that these specific measurements are critical medical indicators of an older adult’s future health.
By keeping the routine ultra-short, researchers eliminated common barriers like time constraints and exhaustion, resulting in an exceptionally high 81% workout completion rate. (iStock)
“These indicators predict your future ability to go into a nursing home, your future likelihood of falling and of developing difficulty walking,” noted lead author Christopher Sciamanna, professor of medicine and of public health at Penn State College of Medicine, in the press release.
“They give you a sense of whether or not you’re going to be able to be active in the future.”
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While traditional home exercise programs generally see low engagement, the participants in this study successfully completed their workouts on 81% of the tracked days, according to the researchers.
After 12 weeks, exercising seniors gained the ability to complete an average of four more chair-stand repetitions than those who did not exercise. (iStock)
The study had several noted limitations. As it tracked a relatively small sample size of fewer than 100 individuals over a brief 12-week time frame, it is unknown whether these mobility gains can be sustained long-term.
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Additionally, the researchers did not specify the exact dropout rates or detail how the routine might affect seniors who already relied on assistive devices like walkers or canes.
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Because the final trial results reflected a specific group of participants who met the entry criteria, further investigation is required to determine whether the short routine can safely benefit older adults facing more severe physical limitations or cognitive decline.
The study was published in the journal PLOS One.
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Jill Smokler, founder of Scary Mommy, has died at age 48 after a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
The popular “mommy blogger” had been fighting the disease for the past two years, according to an announcement posted on ScaryMommy.com on Monday.
The stay-at-home mother of three launched the blog in 2008 as a place to share the “joys and pitfalls” of parenting, according to the article.
As Scary Mommy expanded from a personal blog into a major parenting brand, Smokler built a following with her honest, often self-deprecating take on motherhood. She went on to speak at blogging conferences, author bestselling books, appear on national television programs and earn three Webby Awards, her biography states.
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“Jill spent her life telling the truth about motherhood — that it could be wonderful and impossible in the very same breath — and in doing so, she gave millions of women permission to stop pretending and feel a little less alone,” her family shared in a statement following her passing.
Jill Smokler, founder of Scary Mommy (pictured in 2018), has died at age 48 after a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun/ZUMA Press Wire / Shutterstock)
“She was funny, fearless, generous and entirely herself. More than anything she built, Jill was proudest of her three children, Lily, Ben and Evan. We are heartbroken to lose her, and endlessly proud of the mark she left on the world.”
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Smokler’s first sign of the disease was in April 2024, when she experienced a sudden seizure. She then underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor, after which she didn’t recognize her own children, she previously shared with Today.
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“I am definitely grateful that I don’t remember the looks on their faces when I didn’t recognize them,” she said. “That must have been gutting.”
Smokler was diagnosed with glioblastoma, the most common malignant primary brain tumor in adults and one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer. There is currently no cure.
About 13.9% of all brain tumors are glioblastomas, according to the American Brain Tumor Association. (iStock)
Following surgery, the blogger underwent radiation and chemotherapy, during which she was open about her treatment side effects, including fatigue and hair loss. Additional surgeries and clinical trials followed, according to previous interviews.
“Thank you, Jill, for everything. May you rest in peace,” the Scary Mommy post concluded.
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About 13.9% of all brain tumors are glioblastomas, according to the American Brain Tumor Association. More than 12,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. each year.
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Median survival is approximately 12 to 18 months after diagnosis, even with treatment. Only about 5% to 7% of patients survive five years after diagnosis, data shows.
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