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Big thighs 'lower coronary heart disease risk'

8 September 2009: Having slim thighs may increase your risk of developing coronary heart disease, according to a new study.

 

Researchers in Denmark found that people with a thigh size between 56 and 68cm had the lowest risk of developing the disease. Experts averaged this out, making 60cm the optimal size to reduce the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease in both men and women.

The researchers suggest that the lower amount of muscle mass in smaller thighs could cause coronary heart disease. However, Bupa International’s medical director, Dr Sneh Khemka, said no clear link could be drawn from the study because the fat and muscle mass, and tissue composition of each person’s thigh were not measured.

The researchers took body measurements including height, weight and hip, thigh and waist measurements from nearly 3,000 men and women. They also measured blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as asking them about how much physical activity they did, if they smoked, their alcohol consumption and level of education. All these factors were taken into account when analysing the results. They were then followed up 10 to 12 years later to see if any had developed coronary heart disease.

Dr Khemka said: “Due to the uncertainty of the conclusions in this study, the findings need further confirmation before we can say if thigh circumference measurements could be used to help identify people at risk of developing coronary heart disease."

“Although, this study makes for interesting reading, it is important to bear in mind the tried and tested ways of reducing your chances of getting heart disease. “Taking regular exercise, following a healthy diet and not smoking are proven ways of reducing your risk of coronary heart disease.”

Key facts

  • Coronary heart disease, also known as atherosclerosis, is when the coronary arteries become gradually narrowed and hardened. The coronary arteries are blood vessels that supply blood to your heart muscle.
  • Coronary heart disease develops slowly over many years. You may not know anything is wrong until you develop angina (chest pains) or have a heart attack.
  • Several factors increase your risk of developing heart disease, including:

          smoking
          being overweight
          having an inactive lifestyle
          eating an unhealthy diet
          having diabetes
          having high blood pressure
          having high blood cholesterol

  • You can reduce your chance of getting coronary heart disease by:

          not smoking
          losing excess weight
          taking regular exercise
          sticking to a diet that is low in fat and high in fibre

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