A person’s waist size could offer important information about heart health that the number on a scale does not reveal, according to new research. The study suggests waist measurements may identify cardiovascular risks that doctors could miss when relying on body mass index alone.

Researchers from the Cross Cohort Collaboration analyzed information from nearly 260,000 adults. The participants were enrolled in 15 long term health studies and were followed for about 20 years.

The findings were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Researchers found that some people categorized as having a normal weight based on BMI still had higher levels of fat around their midsection.

Among participants within the normal and overweight BMI ranges, larger waist measurements or higher waist to hip ratios were generally associated with greater risk. Those participants faced a 15% to 50% greater risk of several heart related problems and death during the study period.

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The findings indicate that the way weight is distributed across the body may provide a more complete assessment than BMI alone. While BMI compares a person’s weight with height, waist measurements can offer information about where fat is carried.

Erin Palinski Wade, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator based in New Jersey, said the location of body fat matters. Palinski Wade, who was not involved in the study, is also the author of the book “The Sleepdemic Solution.”

“BMI only tells us weight relative to height, it doesn't tell us where fat is stored, and that matters,” Palinski Wade told Fox News Digital. Her comments reflected the study’s focus on abdominal fat and its possible connection to cardiovascular risk.

Palinski Wade said fat carried around the abdomen can present different health concerns than fat stored elsewhere on the body. In particular, she pointed to visceral fat, which is located around abdominal organs.

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“Where you carry fat matters more than how much you carry, because visceral fat, the fat wrapped around abdominal organs, is metabolically active tissue that drives inflammation, insulin resistance, and artery damage in a way that fat under the skin elsewhere on the body doesn't,” she said.

The research therefore highlights why BMI may not present a complete picture of an individual’s heart health. A person who falls within a normal or overweight BMI range could still have a larger waist measurement or higher waist to hip ratio.

“BMI doesn't tell the whole story, where you carry fat may matter more than the number on the scale,” Palinski Wade said. The findings similarly emphasized body fat distribution rather than focusing only on total weight.

Experts noted that fat stored deep in the abdomen around internal organs can promote inflammation, interfere with insulin function and harm blood vessels. The study’s results linked larger waist measurements with greater risk even among people whose BMI fell within normal or overweight ranges.

Researchers examined multiple health outcomes during the study period. These included heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and cardiovascular related deaths.

However, the researchers also identified several limitations. They did not have information about participants’ physical activity, diets or genetic risk for obesity, although each of those factors can play a role in cardiovascular disease.

The study measured waist circumference and waist to hip ratio only once. As a result, researchers had limited ability to determine how changes in abdominal fat over time might affect heart disease risk.