Pericardial fat tied to increased risk of HF: study

Women appear to be more at risk than men, the researchers report
Reuters Health
preserved heart

Excess pericardial fat is associated with an increased risk of heart failure, with women particularly at risk, a study suggests.

US researchers used cardiac CT to assess pericardial fat in nearly 3600 women and some 3200 men without pre-existing cardiovascular disease obtained as part of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, and followed participants for a median of nearly 16 years.