And regardless of one's body weight, the higher the amount of pericardial fat present, the greater the risk of heart failure, the study found. "It's not just the overall amount of body fat, but the concentrated depot of fat around the heart (that is linked to heart failure)," Kenchaiah said. Pericardial fat is also correlated with plaque (fatty deposits) in coronary arteries, which can lead to heart attacks and subsequently to heart failure, Kenchaiah added. And women with high amounts of pericardial fat had double the risk of heart failure, while men had 50% increased risk. "Keeping blood pressure as close to normal is highly effective in reducing heart failure risk," Fonarow added.

Source: CNN June 01, 2021 10:30 UTC