The research, published in magazine eLifestems from a growing understanding that some overweight people belong to a special group, with what is called ‘metabolically healthy overweight’.
“It’s a condition in which people who would normally be at risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes because they are overweight are actually protected against the negative effects of being overweight,” says Mete Civelek, one of the researchers, in a press release.
Unexpected role
Civelek and the rest of the research team took a closer look at some genetic variations that may increase the risk of developing belly fat.
There are hundreds of regions in our DNA that seem to increase the tendency to develop excess belly fat, and the researchers found that five genetic variations played an unexpected role in the body.
“To our surprise, these five areas lower a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes,” said Yonathan Aberra, the lead researcher. in a press release.
However, excess abdominal fat is still a major risk factor for a wide range of diseases in a large segment of the population, and only a very small proportion of overweight people are expected to have the genetic makeup that protects them from type 2 diabetes.
However, the researchers believe that doctors should look at more than just patients’ hip and waist measurements when assessing the risk of a specific condition that can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, called metabolic syndrome.
This can be quite simple – at least for a certain group of people – which is why the researchers believe that in the future doctors should also look at genes when advising patients.
2023-08-03 19:41:48
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