Quick test is a significant predictor of a potentially life-threatening condition

What’s in your gut might just break your heart — literally.For years, doctors have used body mass index (BMI) as the standard tool for measuring obesity and assessing a patient’s risk of developing heart failure.But new research suggests that a simple ratio involving your waistline may be an even better predictor.The best part? You can calculate it yourself at home — here’s how.Research presented this week at the European Society of Cardiology’s scientific congress looked at 1,792 adults 45 to 73 years old. Participants were split into three groups: those with normal blood sugar, prediabetes or diabetes.

Over a 13-year follow-up period, 132 developed heart failure.Here’s the kicker: researchers linked a larger waist relative to height to a “significantly increased” risk of heart failure.In fact, those with a waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) of 0.65 or higher were nearly three times more likely to develop the potentially deadly condition.“BMI is the most common measure of obesity, but it is influenced by factors such as sex and ethnicity, and does not take into account the distribution of body fat,” said study co-author Dr.John Molvin of Lund University in Sweden.Unlike BMI, WtHR targets central adiposity, or excess fat in the abdomen that surrounds internal organs.

This fat poses a stronger risk for health problems such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and even an early death compared to general obesity. “We found that WtHR was a significant predictor of incident [heart failure],” said Molvin, adding that it may be a more reliable measure than BMI to identify those at risk and those who could benefit from obesity treatments.Next, the researchers plan to explore whether WtHR can predict other health issues, like Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.Heart failure is a progressive condition that occurs when the heart muscle is damaged and can no longer pump enough blood and oxygen to the body’s other organs.It’s extremely common in t...