A new study of 22,000 Swedish heart attack survivors published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology,found that those with excess belly fat were more likely to have a second heart attack, UPI reports.

Other studies have linked belly fat to first heart attack risk, and the new study results revealed that belly fat ups the odds for a second coronary event.

“Abdominal obesity not only increases your risk for a first heart attack or stroke, but also the risk for recurrent events after the first misfortune,” said study author Dr. Hanieh Mohammadi.

Belly fat can be a sign of other conditions that contribute to clogged arteries, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar and diabetes as well as raised levels of cholesterol. Excess belly fat can create problems no matter how many preventive drugs you may be taking or how healthy your blood tests are, Mohammadi said.