"Fatty" muscles may point to a higher risk of heart disease
In the journals
- Reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing

Researchers recruited 669 participants with no evidence of significant coronary artery disease. Everyone's heart function was tested with cardiac PET scans. CT scans measured the amounts of fat and muscle in their chest. From these measurements, researchers calculated the participants' "fatty muscle fraction" — the ratio of intermuscular fat to total muscle plus total fat — to quantify how much fat was stored within each person's muscles.
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About the Author

Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
About the Reviewer

Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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