New research has revealed a clear link between fat that forms around the stomach and the process of artery hardening which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

While it has long been established that being overweight is unhealthy, only now have scientists established a link between visceral fat – which forms around major organs – and potentially fatal blood clotting.

Researchers at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center found that mice with visceral fat transplants developed hardened arteries at a faster rate than normal mice, with their conclusions published in the latest edition of the journal Circulation.

According to Dr Daniel Eitzman, who led the team, the findings highlight the mdeical importance of weight loss.

"With weight loss you're going to lose not only total body weight but also visceral fat," he said.

"It's probably the case that weight reduction is going to reduce these inflammatory characteristics of the visceral."

The findings come after a recent study by Canadian scientists concluded that people of Chinese and South Asian ancestry are at greater risk of developing visceral fatty deposits than those of European ancestry.