Heart trouble starts at the waist: The dangerous link between belly fat and cardiovascular disease

Visceral fat, or belly fat, is more than just an extra layer of weight around your waist. It is deep inside the abdomen and wraps around important organs like the liver, pancreas, and intestines. This kind of fat is very bad for you because it makes chemicals that make inflammation worse in the body. This can cause serious health problems over time, especially heart disease.

When you gain weight around your belly, it changes how your body handles insulin, blood pressure, and cholesterol. It can make the body less sensitive to insulin, which raises your risk of type 2 diabetes, which is a major risk factor for heart disease. It can also raise LDL cholesterol levels and lower HDL cholesterol levels, which is bad for your health. All of these things make it more likely that you will have heart problems, like heart attacks and strokes.

What can you do about belly fat?
Stay active: Stay active by getting at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise like brisk walking, biking, or swimming, at least 5 days a week. Exercise helps you lose weight, burn calories, and makes your heart healthier.

Eat a heart friendly diet: Eat a healthy diet that includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats like nuts and olive oil. Stay away from sugary foods, processed snacks, and trans fats, which can make you gain belly fat.

Get enough sleep: Not getting enough sleep can make you hungrier and raise stress hormones, which can make you gain weight. Get 7 to 8 hours of good sleep every night.

Take care of your stress: Long term stress can make fat build up around your belly. To lower your stress levels, try asanas, meditation, deep breathing, or spending time in nature.

Avoid alcohol: Alcohol adds empty calories and makes it easier for the body to store fat, especially around the belly.

It's not just about how you look when you lose belly fat, it's also about keeping your heart healthy. Making small, regular changes to your daily life can greatly lower your risk of heart disease and make you feel better overall. Before starting any new health routine, you should always talk to a doctor.

Dr. Rahul Mehrotra, Chief - NIC & Clinical Cardiology, Artemis Hospitals