Thigh Muscle Fat Predicts Risk of Developing Heart Failure

[deepali]

A higher level of intramuscular fat infiltration in the thighs was associated with a higher risk of developing heart failure, in a new study. The association was independent of other cardiometabolic risk factors and measures of adiposity such as body mass index. The observation raises the possibility of new avenues of research aimed at modifying intramuscular fat levels as a strategy to reduce the risk of developing heart failure.

[Shripad]

@deepali The fat deposition around and within non-adipose tissues (termed "ectopic fat"), such as skeletal muscle, is also a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, independent of adiposity. However, the impact of peripheral skeletal muscle fat deposition on heart failure risk is not as well studied.