Latest News

A study by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre has produced some rather extraordinary results which suggest that body shape can have a huge impact on the propensity to heart disease in later life, even if the overall weight of the person is normal.  The scientists have used something called the waist hip ratio (WHR) to measure a person’s likelihood of developing heart disease later in life.

A number of volunteers were tested using blood samples and MRI scans to establish if there was any calcium build up in the arteries surrounding the heart. The results were then placed in a table of the participants against their WHR and there appeared to be a direct correlation, even after other factors such as blood pressure, age, smoking, diabetes and cholesterol levels were taken into account.  The likelihood of there being calcium deposits grew in direct proportion to the WHR.

It has subsequently been determined that the safe WHR for a man is 1.0 and for a woman it is 0.85.  A man’s health is also deemed to be at risk if the circumference of his waist exceeds 37 inches and for a woman the figure is 32 inches.  You can test your WHR by dividing your waist measurement by your hip measurement.

If you are worried about your weight, The Online Clinic will be prepared to offer you a free consultation to see if medication would be an appropriate option for you.