Maintaining a healthy weight is not the only factor to consider to prevent heart attack risk.

Normal-weight patients diagnosed with a cluster of factors known as the “metabolic syndrome” could face a higher risk for heart failure than even obese patients without such factors, new research suggests.

Metabolic syndrome is characterized by a group of symptoms — increased blood pressure, higher-than-normal insulin levels, excess body fat around the waist, high triglycerides and/or abnormal cholesterol levels — that raise the risk of stroke, heart disease and diabetes.

Thin does not equal healthy.

There are a multitude of factors to consider when assessing one’s health and wellness.