Longevity & AgingWhere You Store Body Fat Determines How Fast Your Heart Ages
Researchers analyzed 21,241 UK Biobank participants using machine learning to predict cardiovascular age from 126 cardiac MRI traits, then linked those predictions to whole-body fat imaging. Visceral fat, liver fat fraction, and muscle fat infiltration accelerated cardiovascular ageing in both sexes. Crucially, abdominal subcutaneous fat and android (upper-body) fat mass raised cardiovascular age only in males. Gynoid fat distribution showed a genetically predicted protective association in women. Mendelian randomization supported causal relationships. The findings underscore that where fat is stored—not just how much—shapes heart ageing trajectories differently in men and women, pointing to fat distribution as a tractable intervention target for extending cardiovascular healthspan.
