Fat around the abdominal area may put individuals at an increased risk of developing hypertension in comparison to individuals who have a similar body mass index with fat concentrations in other areas on the body, according to a new study. The study was published on September 1 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Obesity is an established risk factor for hypertension. Many reports suggest that the location of fat on an individual’s body can lead to heightened risk of other health issues, including heart disease and cancer. The link between hypertension and general obesity as opposed to site-specific fat is not clear.

The Dallas Heart Study included 903 participants, who were followed for a period of seven years on average in an effort to track hypertension development. For the study, hypertension was classified as a systolic blood pressure greater or equal to 140, diastolic blood pressure greater or equal to 90, or starting to use blood pressure medication.

Study participants also underwent imaging of visceral fat, which is fat situated deep in the abdominal cavity between organs, as well as subcutaneous fat, or fat that is visible all over the body, and lower-body fat.

The study’s senior author, Aslan T. Turer, MD, MHS, a cardiologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, said in a statement, “Generally speaking, visceral fat stores correlate with the ‘apple shape’ as opposed to the ‘pear shape,’ so having centrally located fat when you look in the mirror tends to correlate with higher levels of fat inside the abdomen.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, high blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common condition where the force of blood against the artery walls is significant enough to potentially cause health problems, such as heart disease.