LOS ANGELES, April 8 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say women who carry excess weight around their waists have a higher risk of contracting fatal cancer or heart disease.
The study by Harvard University and the National Institutes of Health analyzed data from more than 44,000 women whose medical history and lifestyle were tracked over the course of 16 years, the NIH said Monday in a news release.
During that time, 3,507 of the women died --1,748 of cancer and 751 of heart disease.
Researchers found women with waist size equal to or greater than 35 inches were about twice as likely to die of heart disease as were women with a waist size less than 28 inches. Women with a waist size of 35 inches or more were also twice as likely to die of cancer as were women with smaller waists.
The findings were published in the journal Circulation.
"Although maintaining a healthy weight should continue to be a corner stone in the prevention of chronic diseases and premature death, maintaining a healthy waist size should also be an important goal," the report said.
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