Accelerating gains in abdominal fat during menopause tied to heart disease risk

(University of Pittsburgh) Women who experience an accelerated accumulation of abdominal fat during menopause are at greater risk of heart disease, even if their weight stays steady, according to a new analysis. The study--based on a quarter century of data collected on hundreds of women--indicates that measuring waist circumference during preventive health care appointments for midlife women could be a better early indicator of heart disease risk than weight or BMI.