Waist Size Beats BMI for Predicting Heart Disease Risk

Abdominal fat predicts heart disease risk better than BMI

A new study in JACC shows that waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio better predict cardiovascular risk than BMI alone. Analyzing data from over 260,000 people, researchers found that even those with normal BMI but high central adiposity face 15-50% higher risk for heart disease, stroke, and other outcomes. The authors urge clinicians to incorporate these simple measures into routine risk assessment.