Fat thighs ‘beat heart disease’

People with thin thighs are at a greater risk of suffering from fatal heart disease, researchers have suggested.

A study conducted in Denmark established a link between premature death in men and women whose thighs are less than 60cm in circumference. Its authors admit individuals with thighs wider than 60cm have no added protective benefit as a result.

But researchers argue the study could help GPs identify patients at an increased risk of developing heart disease and suggest lower body exercises.

An accompanying editorial in the British Medical Journal says the research is insufficient, a line picked up by the British Heart Foundation.

“There is insufficient evidence to confirm that a low thigh circumference affects a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease,” said BHF chief nurse Judy O’Sullivan.

However, she added that low muscle mass is associated with low levels of physical activity which is an established risk factor for developing heart disease.