A pot belly increases the risk of a heart attack -- even if the rest of the physique is as skinny as a beanpole.

The person with that build would have a low body mass index (BMI). Based on that, the person would be classified as having a low heart attack risk. But, insist researchers here, it's really the ratio between the distance around that pot belly and the circumference of the hips that tells the tale of risk.

If the waist-to-hip ratio is high, irrespective of the BMI, the risk of a heart attack is increased, Arya Sharma, M.D., and Salim Yusuf, M.D., of McMaster University here and colleagues reported in the Nov. 5 issue of The Lancet, based on a new analysis of the Interheart study data.