Comparative Assessment of the Utility of Anthropometric and Bioelectrical Impedance Indices as Potential Predictors of Hypertension within a Ghanaian Adult Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

Waist-to-height ratio is a better predictor of hypertension in women during recovery from anesthesia compared to BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist circumference

This was an observational study of patients with benign breast tumors intended to investigate and compare the predictive value of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) for hypertension in the recovery room. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between these body fat anthropometric indices and hypertension. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was performed to assess the comparative predictive ability. A total of 689 women were evaluated. Patients with BMI ≥28 (kg/m2), WC > 85 cm, WHR ≥0.82, and WHtR ≥0.5 had a significantly higher probability of increased systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) than patients with less than threshold values (all P < 0.05). The areas under the ROC curve (AUC) of BMI, WC, and WHtR where all modestly significant (all AUC ≥0.65) and nearly identical at 0.6592, 0.65, and 0.6724, respectively. Conclusion: body fat anthropometric indices are useful predicting hypertension during recovery from general anesthesia in patients with benign breast tumors undergoing day surgery; WHtR outperformed the other indices and nearly identical.

Pre-vaccination seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the Volta Region, Ghana

Objectives

Before administration of the first dose of the AstraZeneca 2019 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine to selected prioritized groups in the Volta regional capital of Ghana, we determined the pre-vaccination status of prospective recipients and established the baseline exposure status 1 year after the first case was reported.

Methods

After informed consent, blood samples were collected for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin (Ig) M/IgG antibodies using rapid diagnostic test kits. A total of 409 individuals (mean age 27 years) consented and participated in the study, comprising 70% students and others were health staff and educators who presented themselves for vaccination.

Results

The overall exposure rate of SARS-CoV-2 was 12.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.6-16.3). The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG were 4.2% (95% CI 2.4-6.6) and 5.6% (95% CI 3.6-8.3), respectively. IgM and IgG were detected in 2.9% (95% CI 1.5-5.1) of the respondents. The exposure rates were higher in participants over 40 years old (15.5%). Participants without a history of COVID-19-like symptoms had an exposure rate of 13.0% and those without any chronic diseases was 13.2%.

Conclusion

Pre-vaccination exposure was relatively low and underscored the need for vaccination i to increase protection in communities and disease outcomes.

Evaluating the performance of a novel anthropometric index: weight adjusted for waist-to-height ratio (W-WHR) - for predicting cardiometabolic risk among adults in Addis Ababa

OBJECTIVE

Various anthropometric indices had been proposed to predict cardiometabolic risk, yet few were validated in the African population. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of a novel anthropometric index-weight adjusted for waist-to-height ratio (W-WHR)-as a predictor of cardiometabolic risk among adults 18-64 years in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; and compared its performance with other indices commonly used in the literature.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Community-based study in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

PARTICIPANTS

Randomly selected adults (n=600) completed serum lipid, blood pressure, blood glucose and anthropometric measurements.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcomes of interest were dyslipidaemia, hypertension and hyperglycaemia. Having at least one of the three outcomes was considered as a secondary outcome. Receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) used to measure the diagnostic accuracy of W-WHR and another 13 indices for predicting the primary and secondary outcomes. Optimal thresholds were determined using Youden's index.

RESULTS

W-WHR demonstrated an acceptable diagnostic accuracy (area under the curve (AUC), 95% CI) for correctly classifying dyslipidaemia (0.80, 0.76 to 0.84), hypertension (0.74, 0.70 to 0.78), hyperglycaemia (0.76, 0.70 to 0.82) and the secondary outcome of interest (0.79, 0.75 to 0.83). Depending on the outcomes, thresholds between 32.6 and 36.7 concurrently maximised sensitivity and specificity of the index. ROC analysis indicated, W-WHR (AUC=0.80), abdominal volume index (AVI) (AUC=0.78) and waist circumference (WC) (AUC=0.78) for dyslipidaemia; W-WHR (AUC=0.74) and WC (AUC=0.74) for hypertension; and waist-to-height ratio (AUC=0.80) and body roundness index (AUC=0.80) for hyperglycaemia, had the highest diagnostic accuracy. Likewise, W-WHR (AUC=0.79), AVI (AUC=0.78) and WC (AUC=0.78) had better performance for the secondary outcome. Most indices have better utility among younger than older adults, and per cent body fat had the highest diagnostic accuracy among women (AUC 0.74-0.83).

CONCLUSION

W-WHR is a useful index for predicting cardiometabolic risk, especially among young adults.