VAT Trap Blog

GLP-1 therapies reduce cardiovascular events, likely through visceral adipose tissue reduction, reframing cardiology treatment toward upstream metabolic disease targeting

Fructose quietly drives visceral fat, insulin resistance, and small dense LDL, reshaping cardiovascular risk within today’s ultra-processed food environment modern.

Continuous glucose monitors reveal how differently individuals respond to carbohydrates. We classify these responses using Glucotype, which reflects innate carbohydrate tolerance, and Current Glucose Profile (CGP), which shows a person’s present metabolic state. Combined with visceral fat grading, this system helps identify metabolic risk and guide personalised dietary or medical interventions.

Prediabetes should be viewed as an active cardiometabolic disease stage rather than a passive risk marker. Cardiovascular injury begins before overt diabetes, creating a critical window for intervention. Lifestyle therapy remains fundamental, while agents such as metformin, GLP-1 receptor agonists, dual incretin therapies, and SGLT2 inhibitors may help modify long-term cardiovascular risk.

Some small studies show lower T3 inside fat tissue in people with obesity. This doesn’t mean systemic hypothyroidism — it simply suggests inflammation may reduce local T3 activation. Raised visceral fat quietly disrupts thyroid chemistry, increasing reverse T3 and lowering active T3 inside tissues.

At Surrey Cardiovascular Clinic, we have seen a pattern: some people whose blood sugar (HbA₁c) is technically “normal” are quietly drifting towards diabetes. Their blood tests look fine — but their day-to-day glucose readings tell another story.

The keto and Atkins diets have profound effects on hepatic lipid metabolism, and hence on LDL cholesterol handling. Let’s unpack this carefully through the lens of the endogenous cholesterol pathway.

For patients with CKD 3b, a high-protein diet may accelerate renal decline and should be avoided. However, metabolic improvement via a moderate low-carbohydrate diet with controlled protein intake (~0.8 g/kg/day) and unsaturated fats is both feasible and safe when guided appropriately. Creatinine changes should be interpreted carefully in the context of diet, and dietary interventions should be closely monitored.

When most people think of a cooked breakfast, they picture something indulgent — bacon, eggs, toast, maybe pancakes or juice. But my version of a cooked breakfast is carefully designed to help reduce visceral fat (VAT), improve satiety, and support stable energy levels throughout the morning. Here’s how I do it — and why it works.

An article by Dr Edward Leatham, Consultant Cardiologist © 2026 E.Leatham Introduction For decades, health advice has emphasised “low-fat” as the healthy option. Supermarket shelves are stacked with skimmed and semi-skimmed milk, marketed as the heart-friendly choice. Yet, in recent years, our […]

Dietary fats have been wrongly maligned for much of modern nutritional history. But as the science evolves, it’s clear that fat – far from being harmful – is a vital macronutrient that supports energy metabolism, hormonal health, brain and heart function, and even weight control. Rather than fearing fat, we should focus on: Avoiding refined carbohydrates and ultra-processed foods. Prioritising whole food sources of fat, including nuts, seeds, dairy, eggs, fish, and healthy oi

Recent scientific discoveries have aligned much like planets, leading to an inescapable conclusion among many physicians that glucose metabolism may be even more important than LDL cholesterol in the genesis of many modern diseases.

Continuous glucose monitoring offers a valuable tool for anyone concerned with their long-term health, especially those with a family history of diabetes or other cardiovascular risk factors. Whether through self-monitoring or professional analysis such as our metabolic health assessment, CGMs can provide actionable insights that help individuals manage their glucose levels more effectively, ultimately contributing to a healthier, longer life. By understanding and managing yo

This blog explores how individuals can conduct their own experiments to maintain a steady blood glucose and avoid potentially unhealthy glucose spikes above 7.8 mmol/L (140 mg/dL).

There is a wealth of evidence linking pre-diabetes, raised HbA1c, and full-blown type 2 diabetes to increasing cardiovascular risk. Lesser degrees of a pre diabetic metabolism could therefore have an important role in causing long-term atherosclerosis.

Continuous glucose monitors are transforming diabetes care, but their insights may extend far beyond diabetic patients. Evidence suggests that post-meal glucose spikes and glucose variability may influence cardiovascular health. While definitive trials are still needed, CGMs offer a practical tool to help patients understand metabolic responses and adopt healthier dietary and lifestyle habits.

Written by Dr Edward Leatham, Consultant Cardiologist: Our metabolic health screen incorporates data processing to provide feedback to the patient on their GV status, using both graphical and numerical stats.

When blood sugar levels are consistently high, causing prediabetes and diabetes, the risk of conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes increase in the long-term. It is easy to understand why the phenomenon of glucose spiking, where blood sugar levels surge and then fall back into the normal range after a meal, is also widely considered to be harmful.