Analyzing fatty deposits surrounding the heart may help physicians better detect cardiovascular problems, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

During the four-year trial, researchers monitored more than 2,100 heart patients using medical equipment that locates plaque deposits found in major arteries. Also, the technology measures the fat surrounding the heart and coronary arteries.

The investigators discovered that individuals who showed no signs of cardiovascular disease, but had large deposits of fat around the heart, still suffered heart complications compared to participants in a control group. The results also showed that people with these fat deposits had an increased risk of narrow coronary arteries.

The authors of the study stated that “the measurement of pericardial fat from cardiac CT appears primed to ultimately become a routine complement to the information gained from plaque evaluation.” They added that “this assessment could generate CT information regarding the activity of the atherosclerotic (plaque buildup) process, potentially adding meaningfully to clinical risk assessment.”

The most common type of heart disease is coronary heart disease and it was the cause of more than 445,000 deaths in the United States in 2005, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).