Heart attacks are the one of the scariest things that could happen to a person. Throughout adulthood, we're told to watch everything we eat so we can stay healthy and free of any heart disease. As heart attacks have been affecting people for thousands of years, we have a fairly good idea of the science behind it.
A most common form of heart attack occurs when one or more coronary arteries become blocked. As time passes, the arteries become narrower, partly due to substances that build up and block the passage of blood. Of course there are other causes like a spasm of the artery which may shut down blood flow.
Through research, we are already fairly knowledgeable about the people most at risk of a heart attack. Men and women aged 45 and above are often told to stay healthy as they're most likely to be affected.
It's difficult for most people to suddenly realize they are at risk of dying although they are relatively young. However, heart attacks can happen to anyone.
Recently, Kevin Smith, spoke about how close he was to dying after suffering a massive heart attack. As a rich Hollywood actor, most would think he would best be able to predict the symptoms which could lead to it.
But research has recently shown that the most accurate predictors for heart disease are completely different from what we thought we knew. Although obesity has typically been linked to heart disease, a more important predictor has been found which will, hopefully, enable doctors to save many lives in the future.
A study has shown that women with bigger waists relative to their hips actually have a higher chance of having a heart attack. Before 2018, obesity was seen as the biggest cause of heart disease. However, the study proves the the waist to hip ratio is an even bigger indicator than the amount of fat a person has on their body.
The leader of the study said, "Our findings support the notion that having proportionally more fat around the abdomen (a characteristic of the apple shape) appears to be more hazardous than more visceral fat which is general stored around the hips (the pear shape)."
Unfortunately, women are at a higher risk as their bodies typically store fat in the waists as opposed to their hips like most men. This isn't the first time scientists have highlighted the dangers of having an apple-shaped body. In 2013, a study showed that people with that body shape had a higher risk of developing kidney disease.
An unfortunate fact is that, even healthy apple-shaped people still have a higher chance of contracting these cardiovascular illnesses. Although much of the risk may be due to genetics, doctors suggest reducing salt levels and embarking on targeted drug treatments could reduce your chances of getting ill.
Do you know anyone with an apple-shaped body? Do you think they will appreciate this news?