Smoking linked to belly fat, increased risk of heart disease: study

In addition to the already negative effects of smoking, a recent study revealed how this harmful habit can contribute to obesity, which in turn increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

New research published in the journal Addiction highlighted that both obese and non-obese people who smoke can accumulate large amounts of visceral fat, a type of fat that accumulates deep within the body.

Experts have recommended quitting smoking for weight loss and overall health, as visceral fat accumulation increases the risk of dementia, stroke, and heart disease.

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark used Mendelian Randomisation (MR) to study how smoking habits influence the distribution of fat, particularly in the abdomen.

They used data from a large study that included over 1.2 million people who had recently started smoking and 45.5 million people who had smoked for many years. The researchers also analysed data on fat distribution from a separate group of 600,000 smokers.

The study, using waist-to-hip ratio measurements, found that both recent smokers and long-term smokers may be at increased risk for obesity.

"The influence of smoking on belly fat seems to happen regardless of other factors such as socioeconomic status, alcohol use, ADHD, or how much of a risk-taker someone is,” according to the lead author of the study, Dr Germán Carrasquilla.

Dr Carrasquilla further stated, "From a public health point of view, these findings reinforce the importance of large-scale efforts to prevent and reduce smoking in the general population, as this may also help to reduce abdominal visceral fat and all the chronic diseases that are related to it."