People with “beer bellies” may have an increased risk of heart damage, raising fresh concerns about the health risks tied to extra weight around the midsection.

German researchers found that men with fat deposits around the abdomen showed clear signs of early heart damage, even when their overall weight wasn’t especially high.

Scientists wanted to better understand whether abdominal fat — the kind stored deep around internal organs — is more harmful to the heart than general body fat.

Doctors have long suspected that fat distribution, not just total pounds, plays a major role in heart disease.

This study tested that idea using cardiac MRI scans.

“Abdominal obesity, a high waist-to-hip ratio, is associated with more concerning cardiac remodeling patterns than high body mass index (B

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