The Role of Abdominal Obesity in Cardiovascular Disease

Abdominal obesity – meaning a waistline of 102 cm (40 inches) or more for men, or 88 cm (35 inches) or more for women – directly increases the risk of coronary artery disease (disease of the blood vessels that supply the heart muscle with blood). If you are South Asian or Chinese, then measurements of more than 90 cm (35") for men and 80 cm (32") for women apply. It also increases the risk of developing other risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol levels. For people with abdominal obesity, losing as little as 5 to 10% of their weight can dramatically reduce the risk of all these disorders.