WebMD Medical News Laura J. Martin, MD Aug. 16, 2011 -- Fat
packed around the heart may predict narrowed arteries, even in
people who have don't have symptoms of heart disease, a new
study shows. Studies suggest that where people tend to store
their extra calories as fat may be at least as big a threat to
health as how much total fat they have. There's mounting
evidence that people who are genetically programmed to store fat
in the area around the heart and under the breastbone in the
chest, where it sits in close proximity to the heart, may face a
higher risk of heart disease compared to people who store fat in
other areas. The new study, which is published in the journal
Radiology, used specialized imaging techniques to measure fat
that surrounds the heart in 183 men and women. The scans were
also able to see the beginnings of plaques, or blockages, in the
coronary arteries, the vessels that carry blood to the heart
muscle. Researchers found that the amount of fat stored around
the heart and in the chest wa