Skip to main content

Providing independent clinical excellence since 2005

The SCVC Blog

Cardiovascular care news and articles from our expert team

Anthropometrics vs BMI: Why Waist Measures Outperform BMI in Cardiovascular Risk Assessment

VAT is the principal metabolic culprit in cardiovascular risk. BMI—while simple—fails to capture fat distribution, muscle mass, or ageing effects. Waist-based anthropometrics, particularly waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio, more closely reflect VAT and strongly predict cardiovascular outcomes.For cardiologists, this explains why a tape measure around the waist is more valuable than a BMI calculation. Where precise measurement is required—such as in high-risk patients commencing GLP-1 therapy—DEXA and low-dose CT provide direct VAT quantification.In both prevention and clinical practice, tracking waist measurements makes far more sense than relying on BMI.

How to Lose Visceral Adipose Tissue (VAT) and Improve Metabolic Health: A Guide to Sustainable Weight Loss

Cardiology groups, including ours, are increasingly partnering with diabetes and weight management specialists to set up GLP-1 mimetic clinics. These clinics oversee VAT loss and improve glycaemic control for patients with diverse cardiac conditions. The goal is not only to help these patients manage their symptoms but also to provide a holistic approach to cardiovascular and metabolic health, with an emphasis on reducing the burden of visceral fat. Specialist clinics offer patients the chance to access personalised care that targets both fat loss and better glucose regulation, reducing the need for medications and potentially improving overall quality of life. In this blog and associated podcast and YouTube explainer, we set out some of the fundamental principles we care about.

The Expanding Waistline in Men: Spare Tyre, Killer Visceral Fat, or Just Flabby Abdominal muscles?

Most men over 30 will recognise the slow but steady expansion of the waistline. Whether you call it a spare tyre, a dad bod, or just a bit of extra padding, not all belly fat is created equal — and not all of it is harmless.Some types of abdominal fat are mostly cosmetic. Others are dangerous, inflammatory, and metabolically active — the kind of fat that silently drives heart attacks, strokes, dementia, and even advanced cancers.Let’s break down the three main culprits behind the male belly — and what you can do about them.

Why do patients in atrial fibrillation get breathless?

In atrial fibrillation or AFib, the atrial tissue quivers at approximately 600 cycles per minute, which means that it has no useful pumping function. The left atrium therefore, in patients with atrial fibrillation, merely acts as a passive conduit between the lungs and the left ventricle. It no longer serves to prime the left ventricle, and as a result, less blood enters the heart during diastole, less 'priming' occurs so cardiac output may fall. If ever you have experienced a car's turbo charger going 'on the blink' you will know that the car still GOES, but not very well, since it too suffers loss of output.  The left atrial pressure in many such cases will increase, causing oedema or fluid in the alveolar space, reducing gas exchange and contributing to the symptom of breathlessness.