It’s often said that age is just a number. But when it comes to your heart, the number might not be on your birth certificate. It could be hiding deep inside your belly. Scientists in London now warn that visceral fat, the invisible kind wrapped around internal organs, may be silently accelerating the heart’s ageing process.
The study, published in the European Heart Journal, was led by the Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of Medical Sciences. Data from over 21,000 people in the UK Biobank was examined using AI tools to detect heart ageing. As a result, participants with higher levels of visceral fat — especially around the stomach, liver, and intestines — were more likely to have "older" hearts than their actual age suggested.
And worryingly, this ageing effect was found even in people with a healthy weight or those who were physically active.
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Men vs women: Why shape matters
Intriguingly, the study uncovered striking sex-based differences. Men with the typical “apple-shaped” fat distribution — concentrated around the belly — showed significantly faster heart ageing. In contrast, women with “pear-shaped” fat, stored around the hips and thighs, appeared somewhat protected. Higher oestrogen levels in premenopausal women might also play a role in slowing this silent aging.
Here’s what you need to know about visceral fat and your heart’s true age:
- Visceral fat is not visible from the outside: This fat lies deep within your abdomen, wrapped around key organs. You can have dangerous amounts even if you look slim.
- It’s more dangerous than subcutaneous fat: Unlike fat under the skin, visceral fat triggers inflammation, potentially accelerating the aging of tissues — especially the heart and blood vessels.
- Apple-shaped bodies face more heart risks: Men (and some women) with fat concentrated around the abdomen are more prone to rapid cardiovascular aging, regardless of BMI.
- Pear-shaped fat may offer protection—for women: Fat on hips and thighs appears to shield women’s hearts from premature aging, likely due to hormonal influences like oestrogen.
- Fitness alone isn’t enough: Even active people can accumulate harmful visceral fat. This type of fat operates silently and may evade detection through BMI.
- AI is redefining heart health assessments: With advanced imaging, researchers can now estimate a person’s “heart age” — a potential future metric in regular check-ups.
- Hormones may be the key to future treatments: Oestrogen’s protective role hints at the possibility of hormone-based therapies to prevent heart aging, especially in postmenopausal women.
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