"A large study led by scientists at McMaster University has found that fat stored deep inside the abdomen and liver can quietly injure arteries, even in people who seem healthy on the outside. The research, published on October 17, 2025, in Communications Medicine, questions the long-standing use of body-mass index (BMI) as a reliable indicator of obesity and heart risk. It offers new evidence that the fat people cannot see may be just as dangerous as the weight they can."
"Using advanced MRI scans and data from more than 33,000 adults in Canada and the United Kingdom, the researchers discovered that higher levels of visceral and liver fat were closely tied to thickening and clogging of the carotid arteries in the neck. These arteries carry blood to the brain, and when they narrow, they increase the risk of stroke and heart attack."
"McMaster researchers found that deep abdominal and liver fat can quietly damage arteries, even in people who appear fit. Their MRI-based study of over 33,000 adults shows these fats are closely linked to artery thickening and stroke risk, regardless of cholesterol or blood pressure. The findings challenge BMI as a reliable indicator of health and suggest new imaging-based approaches to assessing cardiovascular risk."
Advanced MRI scans of more than 33,000 adults in Canada and the United Kingdom reveal that increased visceral and hepatic fat correlate with carotid artery thickening and narrowing. These arterial changes associate with higher risk of stroke and heart attack and occur independent of traditional risk measures such as cholesterol and blood pressure. Visceral and liver fat also connect to metabolic conditions like Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Reliance on BMI alone may miss individuals with harmful internal fat deposits, and imaging-based assessment of internal fat could improve cardiovascular risk stratification.
Read at ScienceDaily
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