ANN ARBOR, Mich. — By now, everyone knows that overweight people have a higher risk of heart attacks, strokes and other problems that arise from clogged, hardened arteries. And people who carry their extra weight around their waist – giving them a “beer belly” or an “apple” shape -- have the highest risk of all. But despite the impact on human health, the reasons behind this connection between heart disease and belly fat – also known as visceral fat -- have eluded scientists. Now, a new study in mice gives the first direct evidence of why this link might exist – and a tantalizing look at how it might be broken. In a paper that will be published online today in the journal Circulation before print publication in February, a team of University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center scientists reports direct evidence of a link between inflammation around the cells of visceral fat deposits, and the artery-hardening process of atherosclerosis.
