Skinny Fat Could be Silently Damaging Arteries, Putting the Heart at Risk
“Skinny fat,” a phrase used loosely to describe people who look thin but don’t feel fit, turns out to be a dangerous condition. Fat stored deep within the body, wrapped around organs or contained in the liver, can thicken and clog arteries, even in people who appear healthy on the outside.
A new study, published in Communication medicineanalyzed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound data from more than 33,000 adults in Canada and the United Kingdom. Both visceral and liver fat have been found to be linked to arterial wall thickening and plaque buildup – important early signs of cardiovascular disease.
“The results are a wake-up call for clinicians and the public,” Russell de Souza, co-senior author, said in a press release. “Even after accounting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors like cholesterol and blood pressure, visceral and hepatic fat still contribute to arterial damage.”
How hidden fat damages the arteries that supply the brain
The carotid arteries, which run on either side of the neck, supply blood to the brain. When these vessels thicken or become clogged with fatty deposits, a condition known as carotid atherosclerosis, blood flow can become narrowed, increasing the risk of stroke and heart attack.
Research has shown that visceral fat, which surrounds the organs, and hepatic fat, stored in the liver, were strongly linked to early thickening of the arteries, but their direct impact on the carotid arteries was not yet clear. This is what researchers at McMaster University set out to explore.
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Visceral and liver fat thickens the arteries
The study combined MRI and ultrasound data from 33,307 adults aged 35 to 69, including nearly 7,000 Canadians and 26,000 participants from the United Kingdom. Each participant underwent medical imaging to measure their visceral and liver fat.
In the Canadian cohort, researchers used MRI scans to calculate the volume of each person’s carotid wall. In the British group, ultrasound imaging assessed carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), another early sign of atherosclerosis. These measurements were analyzed alongside lifestyle factors, blood pressure and cholesterol to determine whether hidden fat independently affected artery health.
For every standard deviation increase in visceral fat, arterial wall thickness increased by about six millimeters in Canadians and 0.016 millimeters in British participants, even after adjusting for body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and blood pressure. Liver fat showed a weaker but still significant association, suggesting that it may play a secondary role in vascular injury.
When the two data sets were combined, the pattern held: visceral fat correlated with early thickening of the arteries, regardless of gender, lifestyle, or overall weight. This suggests that the location of fat, not just its quantity, plays a key role in the development of cardiovascular disease.
Why it’s time to look beyond BMI to measure health
For doctors, the message is clear: BMI and waist circumference may not tell the whole story. And for the rest of us, maintaining heart health can mean paying attention to what lies beneath: staying active, eating well, and scheduling regular checkups to spot unseen risks before they show up.
“You can’t always tell by looking at someone whether they have visceral or liver fat,” co-author Sonia Anand said in the press release. “This type of fat is metabolically active and dangerous; it is linked to inflammation and arterial damage, even in people who are not visibly overweight.”
Previous studies have shown that moderate, vigorous exercise (about 150 minutes per week) reduces liver fat over 6 to 12 months. This means that regular walking, jogging, or other consistent aerobic activity, combined with strength training and a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats, can help reduce dangerous fats.
This article does not offer medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.
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