According to a study published in Heart Failure 2025, the waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) increases the risk of heart failure. The most widely used metric for assessing obesity is body mass index, or BMI. Conversely, a high BMI may indicate a favorable prognosis for heart failure because it is influenced by factors such as gender and race, and it overlooks the distribution of body fat.
However, WtHR is considered a more accurate indicator because it measures central fat, where harmful fat accumulates around internal organs. The research team enlisted 1,792 participants aged between 45 and 73. Approximately 33% of them had impaired fasting glucose, 33% had regular blood sugar, and the remaining individuals had diabetes.
Each participant’s risk of developing heart failure was tracked prospectively. According to the researchers, 132 cases of heart failure occurred over a median follow-up of 12.6 years.
The researchers clarified that the risk of heart failure increased more dramatically with a higher WtHR. WtHR was identified as a significant predictor of heart failure development, indicating that it is a more reliable measure than BMI for identifying heart failure patients. The researchers concluded that heart failure could be predicted using the waist-to-height ratio index.
Most Commented