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Measuring your waist isn’t about shape or clothing size. It’s a simple health check that reflects harmful visceral fat around the organs. Measuring the narrowest point can miss risk. For meaningful results, waist must be measured at a fixed anatomical point and tracked consistently over time.
Because cholesterol is a fat-like substance, it cannot dissolve or travel freely in blood, which is mostly water. To move around, it must be packaged into microscopic transport particles called lipoproteins. One of these, LDL (low-density lipoprotein), acts as the main delivery vehicle, carrying cholesterol from the liver to cells that need it for repair or hormone production. In small amounts, LDL cholesterol is therefore completely normal and necessary. The problem only begins when too much LDL remains circulating in the blood for too long.
Ten minutes of strength training, five days a week, is enough to change metabolic health. Like brushing your teeth, it works because it’s sustainable. Keep the time fixed, increase the weights gradually, and focus on strength, not scales. Small daily habits protect muscle, reduce visceral fat, and support long-term health.
In cardiometabolic medicine, muscle is not a cosmetic tissue but a metabolic organ. Evidence consistently shows that strength, not muscle mass, predicts insulin resistance, cardiovascular risk, and survival. Many older adults are not losing muscle tissue — they are losing muscle function, and that is the pathology that matters.
Epigenetics is the molecular bridge between lifestyle and disease. It explains why two people eating the same meal can have very different glucose spikes, and why decades of stress or sleep loss can push one individual towards metabolic syndrome while another remains resilient.
At Surrey Cardiovascular Clinic, we have seen a pattern: some people whose blood sugar (HbA₁c) is technically “normal” are quietly drifting towards diabetes. Their blood tests look fine — but their day-to-day glucose readings tell another story.
At Surrey Cardiovascular Clinic, we move beyond detecting risk to delivering a tiered, personalised framework for metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. Using real-time tools like CGM, the DoctorShape app, imaging, and nurse-led coaching, we help patients reduce visceral adipose tissue, improve insulin sensitivity, and restore metabolic health through lifestyle-first, data-guided care.
If you have ever found yourself feeling breathless climbing stairs or walking uphill — even though your lung and heart tests are “normal” — you are not alone.Many people attribute it to age or fitness. But recent research has uncovered a powerful hidden cause of breathlessness: visceral fat — the fat stored deep inside your abdomen, around your organs. In this blog, we will explore what visceral fat is, how it affects your breathing, and — most importantly — what you can do about it.
An article by Dr Edward Leatham, Consultant Cardiologist © 2025 E.Leatham While everyone might think the term ‘VAT’ stands for value added tax, we all need to recognise this new health term, as it is shaping up to be a critical risk […]
Patients often ask about home monitoring tools — ECG devices, blood pressure monitors, glucose apps. We now also encourage people to track their waistline and visceral fat, using body composition scales alongside more traditional equipment.To support this, I have created a page of recommended home gadgets that can help patients take greater ownership of their health — a vital step towards a more proactive, prevention-focused model of care, guided by their clinical and educational team.
Stress is an unavoidable part of modern life. We encounter it at work, at home, in traffic, and even while reading the news. Although we often discuss stress casually, its impact on the human body is profound—particularly on the cardiovascular system. In this article, we will explore how stress affects the heart and blood vessels, drawing on clinical insights, expanding scientific knowledge, and practical stress-management strategies. By the end, you will see why stress is a critical factor in any heart health strategy, along with steps you can take to mitigate its harmful effects.
Research indicates that approximately 20% of the global population has elevated Lp(a), making it a prevalent, yet under-recognised, CVD risk factor. Despite its clinical significance, the management of elevated Lp(a) remains challenging. Standard lipid-lowering therapies, including statins, have little to no effect on Lp(a) and may even slightly increase its levels. However, emerging therapies such as PCSK9 inhibitors and innovative supplements like curcumin are shedding light on potential strategies to mitigate this risk.