Be Extra Cautious if Only Your Stomach is Protruding: The New Story of "Beer Belly" and Heart Failure Risk

The so-called "beer belly" may have a greater impact on the heart than it appears. Recent imaging studies have shown that abdominal obesity (waist-to-hip ratio) is more closely associated with "unfavorable cardiac remodeling," such as thickening of the myocardium and reduction in ventricular volume, than body mass index (BMI). This condition may progress even without noticeable symptoms, and it is suggested that the correlation is particularly strong in men. It is important to review lifestyle habits and manage abdominal fat from an early stage.