An analysis of data concerning nearly 162,000 postmenopausal women found that women whose body fat collects in their mid-section have nearly twice the risk for heart disease or stroke as women whose body fat is mostly stored in their legs. Study author Dr. Qibin Qi writes, “Our findings suggest that postmenopausal women, despite having normal weight, could have a varying risk of cardiovascular disease because of different fat distributions around either their middle or their legs.”

European Heart Journal, July 2019