Longevity & AgingWhy Fit People Still Have Heart Attacks Despite Normal BMI
A major new study analyzing 470,000 people across 91 countries reveals why people with normal BMI can still suffer heart attacks. The key issue is visceral fat - the deep belly fat around organs that BMI doesn't detect. One in five adults globally has normal weight but dangerous levels of visceral fat, measured by waist circumference. This hidden fat drives chronic inflammation and significantly increases disease risk. People with normal BMI but high waist circumference showed 29% higher risk of high blood pressure, 81% higher chance of type 2 diabetes, 40% greater risk of high cholesterol, and 56% higher triglycerides. The solution is measuring waist circumference at home alongside BMI, using thresholds of 80cm for women and 94cm for men.
