HEART OF IT
Slim people still at risk of heart attack due to ‘hidden’ fat lurking in muscles, study finds
Read on for the subtle signs of a heart attack to act on immediately
SLIM people might still be at risk of deadly heart attacks due to hidden pockets of fat their muscles.
Researchers from Harvard Medical School compared this type of “intramuscular fat” to marbling in beef that makes it juicy and flavourful.
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While flecks of fat are sought after in luxury cuts of meat like Wagyu beef, it can have serious health consequences in humans.
Harvard scientists found that women with this type of fat were at higher risk of dying from heart attack or heart failure - regardless of their body mass index (BMI).
In fact, every 1 per cent increase in the amount of fat stored in muscles increased the risk of serious heart conditions by 7 per cent.
Meanwhile, people with higher amounts of lean muscle had a lower risk.
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Fat stored under the skin didn't increase the risk of a heart attack, researchers also found.
The research looked at 669 people being evaluated at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston for chest pain and/or shortness of breath, but were found to have no evidence of obstructive coronary artery disease - a condition where the arteries that supply the heart become clogged.
The group were given scans to assess their heart function, while researchers also used CT scans to analyse body composition and measure the amounts and location of fat and muscle in sections of their torso.
Professor Viviany Taqueti, director of the cardiac stress laboratory at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and faculty at Harvard Medical School, said: "Intermuscular fat can be found in most muscles in the body, but the amount of fat can vary widely between different people.
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"In our research, we analyse muscle and different types of fat to understand how body composition can influence the small blood vessels or 'microcirculation' of the heart, as well as future risk of heart failure, heart attack and death."
Those with higher amounts of fat stored in their muscles were more likely to have coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), a condition that affects the small blood vessels in the heart.
I thought I just needed to crack my back but I was having a heart attack
They were also more likely to go to hospital or die from heart disease.
According to the study, for every 1 per cent increase in fatty muscle fraction, there was a 2 per cent increased risk of CMD and a 7 per cent increase in the risk of serious heart disease in the future.
Prof Taqueti suggested that unlike subcutaneous fat - or fat stored under the skin - fat stored in the muscles may be contributing to inflammation and insulin resistance.
"In turn, these chronic insults can cause damage to blood vessels, including those that supply the heart, and the heart muscle itself," she added.
How to reduce your risk of heart attacks and stroke
You can reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke with many of the same methods.
Heart attacks and strokes, althouh affecting different organs of the body, are both what we call cardiovascular events.
Both arise from similar underlying conditions, such as atherosclerosis —a buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries.
According to the American Heart Association, the risk factors for heart attacks and strokes are largely the same: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, and diabetes.
Therefore, addressing these risk factors can simultaneously reduce the risk of both conditions.
Here are ways you can prevent the two:
Healthy diet
- More fruit and veg: The DASH, which emphasises fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, has been shown to reduce blood pressure and improve heart health.
- Less fats: Too much saturated and trans fats can raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of atherosclerosis. Go for healthier fats like those found in olive oil, nuts, and avocados.
- Limit salt: High salt intake is linked to high blood pressure, a major risk factor for both heart attack and stroke. The NHS recommends no more than 6g of salt per day for adults.
- Fibre: Foods high in soluble fibre, such as oats and beans, can help lower cholesterol levels.
Exercise
Walking, running, cycling, swimming - whatever you like, do it!
Aerobic exercise can strengthen the heart and improve circulation.
The NHS advises at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week.
Strength training exercises can help control weight, improve cholesterol levels, and reduce blood pressure. It is recommended twice a week by the NHS.
Manage blood pressure
Healthy diet and exercise can help keep your blood pressure in check.
But it is worth monitoring it yourself after the age of 40, at least, when the NHS invites adults for a check-up every five years.
High blood pressure often has no symptoms but significantly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Quit smoking
One of the best ways to quit smoking is to use resources provided by NHS Smokefree. Support groups, medications, and other tools to help quit smoking such as vapes could be what you need to kick the habit for good - and it's free.
Limit booze
Excessive alcohol consumption can increase blood pressure and contribute to weight gain, which can snowball and become a heart health risk.
The NHS recommends not regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol per week.
"Knowing that intermuscular fat raises the risk of heart disease gives us another way to identify people who are at high risk, regardless of their body mass index."
Prof Taqueti said it's not yet known how to lower the risk for people with fatty muscles.
"For example, we don't know how treatments such as new weight-loss therapies affect fat in the muscles relative to fat elsewhere in the body, lean tissue, and ultimately the heart," she added.
She said the findings, published in the European Heart Journal, could be "particularly important" for ongoing studies looking at the impact of weight loss drugs on heart health.
Researchers suggest it may be possible that the loss of lean muscle mass as a result of these drugs may also trigger loss fat hidden in muscles.
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Prof Taqueti added: "Obesity is now one of the biggest global threats to cardiovascular health, yet body mass index - our main metric for defining obesity and thresholds for intervention - remains a controversial and flawed marker of cardiovascular prognosis.
"This is especially true in women, where high body mass index may reflect more 'benign' types of fat."
Subtle signs of a heart attack
A HEART attack is when the supply of the blood to the heart is suddenly blocked.
It is a medical emergency and needs to be treated right away.
Around 100,000 people are admitted to hospital due to heart attacks every year in the UK, according to the British Heart Foundation.
That's 290 each day, or one every five minutes.
Some symptoms, like chest pain, shortness of breath and feeling lightheaded or dizzy, can be fairly obvious.
But the signs aren't always so blatant, the NHS warns. Other more subtle symptoms of a heart attack include:
- Pain in other parts of the body (it can feel as if the pain is spreading from your chest to your arms, jaw, neck, back and stomach)
- Sweating
- Feeling sick
- Vomiting
- An overwhelming feeling of anxiety (similar to a panic attack)
- Weakness or fatigue
- Coughing
- Wheezing
A heart attack and cardiac arrest are similar, but not the same.
A cardiac arrest is when the heart stops pumping blood around the body.
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