Central obesity--more weight in cardiovascular disease prevention

Social vulnerability effect over obesity anthropometric indexes: results from population-based epidemiological study

OBJECTIVES

The study aimed at evaluating the contextual effects of social vulnerability over anthropometric indexes related to global and central obesity in adults living in Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil, in 2006.

METHODS

In a population-based cross-sectional study using multistage sampling, multilevel linear models were applied considering two levels: ecological and individual. The 81 census tracts drafted for sample composition were considered the ecological level and classified according to Paulista Social Vulnerability Index (IPVS).

RESULTS

Individual correlates to body mass index (BMI) were age, familial and personal antecedents of overweight, and total fat consumption (direct relationship), exception to gender and schooling (inverse relationship). Individual correlates to waist circumference were age, familial antecedents of stroke, personal antecedent of overweight, BMI, number of medicines taken, time of smoking, and diet total energy (direct relationship), exception to gender (inverse relationship). Considering both outcomes (BMI and waist circumference), in the final models, the variance of IPVS showed statistical significance (p < 0.05), depicting the contextual effect (rho ≈ 8%) over global and central obesity, even after the adjustment for individual correlates.

CONCLUSION

Results showed that interventions to promote healthy behaviors and to prevent obesity might be focused not only on individual factors but also on socioenvironmental context in which people are inserted.

Exploring the path between depression, anxiety and 10-year cardiovascular disease incidence, among apparently healthy Greek middle-aged adults: The ATTICA study

OBJECTIVES

Although there is substantial evidence that psychological factors play an important role in the onset and course of cardiovascular disease (CVD), less is known about their combined effect and the pathways by which they affect cardiovascular health. The present work aimed to prospectively explore the effects of depression and anxiety on the 10-year CVD incidence, in relation to other lifestyle determinants, as linking factors in the context of the ATTICA study. Study design/Main outcome measures: The ATTICA study is a population-based, health and nutrition prospective cohort study (2002-2012), during which 853 middle-aged participants without a history of CVD [453 men (aged 45±13years) and 400 women (aged 44±18years)], underwent psychological evaluations at enrollment. The latent trait of depression and anxiety combined measure was estimated and referred as "Psychological distress"; path analysis was applied to describe the relationships among the different factors.

RESULTS

"Psychological distress" was positively associated with the 10-year CVD incidence (adjusted OR per 10 units: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1, 1.7). Three linking pathways were revealed: sedentariness, inflammation and metabolic syndrome. Moreover, "Psychological distress" mediated the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and CVD, with participants of low SES scoring higher on the psychological measure (adjusted linear regression coefficient b: -7.1, 95% CI: -9.7, -4.5).

CONCLUSIONS

Lifestyle and clinical factors seem to link psychological distress with CVD development. Joint psychological assessments should be considered for inclusion in CVD preventive strategies, which should incorporate interventions for interrupting the linking pathways.

The interactive effect of diabetes and central obesity on stroke: a prospective cohort study of inner Mongolians

Background

The relationship between central obesity and stroke is inconsistent in diabetic and non-diabetic populations. This indicates an interaction between diabetes and central obesity on stroke risk. The present study aimed to examine the interaction in a cohort of Inner Mongolians.

Methods

In this prospective cohort study, we assessed the interaction between diabetes and central obesity on stroke incidence between June 2003 and July 2012. At baseline, 2,589 adults were recruited and examined from Inner Mongolia, China. Participants were categorized into four subgroups according to presence of diabetes and/or central obesity. Both additive and multiplicative interactions were evaluated using Cox proportional-hazard models.

Results

121 stroke events were recorded during the follow-up period. The cumulative incidence of stroke was highest for participants with both diabetes and central obesity (log-rank test, P = 0.042). The multivariable-adjusted risk for stroke was significantly higher in participants with both conditions (HR = 3.02, 95% CI 1.24-7.33, P = 0.015) compared to those with neither diabetes nor central obesity. Attributable proportion due to the interaction between diabetes and central obesity was 0.571 (95% CI 0.017-1.125). The multiplicative interactive effect between diabetes and central obesity on stroke was also statistically significant (HR = 2.67, 95% CI 1.14-6.26, P = 0.024).

Conclusions

The participants who were both diabetic and centrally obese had significantly higher risk for incident stroke than the combination of individuals who individually had either condition among Mongolian population. This study suggests that central obesity and diabetes act synergistically to increase the risk of stroke.