New anthropometric indices or old ones: which perform better in estimating cardiovascular risks in Chinese adults

Insulin Resistance-Related Cardiometabolic Risk Among Nondiabetic Childbearing Age Females

Background: This study evaluates insulin resistance prevalence in young females without diabetes, assessing risk factors and adiposity indices for early detection of cardiometabolic disorders. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, involving 282 females aged 18-35 years from suburban and rural areas of Sri Lanka. Anthropometric measurements [height, weight, waist circumference (WC)] were obtained and biochemical parameters [fasting glucose, insulin, insulin resistance (IR), total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins, (HDL), low-density lipoproteins, triglycerides] were measured. The anthropometric and biochemical data were compared between the groups of normal weight controls and overweight/obese cases, as well as between females with or without IR. Results: The prevalence of IR in controls and cases were 48.6% and 57.1%, respectively. Both groups had mean Homeostasis Model Assessment-IR values greater than the normal cutoff value of 2.5. Females with IR showed higher prevalence of dyslipidemia than those without IR. Compared to the controls (2.81%), the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) was substantially greater among cases (46.42%). Both groups showed a statistically significant association between IR and MetS, but the association was considerably stronger in cases [r = 0.616, odds ratio (OR) >8] than in controls (r = 0.175, OR >1). Controls exhibited lower HDL levels, hypertriglyceridemia, and elevated IR levels (P < 0.05), and their ORs for acquiring MetS were >2, <1, and >3, respectively. Importantly, overweight/obese cases exhibited a significant association (P < 0.05) with all the MetS risk variables. Visceral adiposity index (VAI) proves to be a precise measurement for identifying IR and cardiovascular disease (CVD) among young females (Z = -3.651), surpassing the accuracy of other indices. Body mass index, body round index, a body shape index, and WC were also reliable measurements to assess IR and the risk of CVD (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The study underscores the importance of assessing IR in nondiabetic young females to identify early cardiometabolic risks. VAI emerges as a precise measurement for identifying IR and CVD risk, surpassing the accuracy of other indices.

Comparative efficacy of anthropometric indices in predicting 10-year ASCVD risk: insights from NHANES data

Background

Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Accurately predicting the 10-year risk of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) is crucial for timely intervention and management. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive performance of six anthropometric indices in assessing the 10-year ASCVD risk.

Methods

Utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database (1999-2018), the study involved 11,863 participants after applying exclusion criteria. Six anthropometric indices-waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), a body shape index (ABSI), body roundness index (BRI), and waist-to-height0.5 ratio (WHT.5R)-were calculated. The 10-year ASCVD risk was assessed using the 2013 ACC/AHA guidelines & pooled cohort equations model. Participants were divided into two groups based on an ASCVD risk threshold of 7.5%. Statistical analysis included chi-square tests, odds ratios, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

Results

The study found significant differences in baseline characteristics between participants with ASCVD risk less than 7.5% and those with a risk greater than or equal to 7.5%, stratified by gender. In both male and female groups, individuals with higher ASCVD risk exhibited higher age, waist circumference, BMI, and a higher prevalence of health-compromising behaviors. ABSI emerged as the most accurate predictor of ASCVD risk, with the highest area under the curve (AUC) values in both genders. The optimal cut-off values for ABSI was established for effective risk stratification (cut-off value = 0.08).

Conclusion

The study underscores the importance of anthropometric indices, particularly ABSI, in predicting the 10-year risk of ASCVD. These findings suggest that ABSI, along with other indices, can be instrumental in identifying individuals at higher risk for ASCVD, thereby aiding in early intervention and prevention strategies.

A body shape index is useful for BMI-independently identifying Japanese patients with obesity at high risk of cardiovascular disease

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Obesity with multiple metabolic syndrome (MetS) components and/or with skeletal muscle loss is at high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study aimed to clarify the utility of anthropometric indices for identifying patients with overweight/obese at high risk of CVD based on having multiple MetS components and skeletal muscle loss.

METHODS & RESULTS

This cross-sectional study included 188 overweight/obese (BMI ≥25 kg/m2, Japanese patients; 73 men and 115 women, mean age 55.7 years). First, we performed correlation analysis among seven anthropometric indices, body mass index (BMI), percentage body fat, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHpR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), a body shape index (ABSI), and body roundness index (BRI). Unlike the others, only ABSI was not correlated with BMI. Then, we conducted receiver operating characteristic analysis to assess the predictive abilities of anthropometric indices for having multiple MetS components. WC, WHpR, WHtR, BRI, and ABSI had significant predictive abilities for having multiple MetS components. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis showed that only ABSI had significantly negative associations with all sarcopenia-evaluated indices (skeletal muscle mass index [SMI], handgrip strength [HGS], and muscle quality [MQ]), irrespective of sex and age. Finally, an analysis of covariance showed that the high ABSI group had significantly lower SMI and HGS than the low ABSI group, irrespective of sex and age.

CONCLUSION

ABSI was deemed useful for BMI-independently identifying Japanese patients with overweight/obese at high risk of CVD based on having multiple MetS components and skeletal muscle loss. Clinical trials (the unique trial number and the name of the registry) ID: UMIN000042726.

The effect of a body shape index (ABSI) and its interaction with low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) on osteoporosis in elderly Chinese

BACKGROUND

Both obesity and chronic kidney disease (CKD) contribute to osteoporosis risk, but the effect of a newly developed index (e.g., a body shape index, ABSI) of central obesity and its interaction with low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) on osteoporosis remains unknown.

METHODS

A total of 2534 Chinese individuals were enrolled in our ongoing cohort study: Osteoporosis Preventive Project. ABSI and eGFR were calculated as obesity-related indexes and renal function markers, respectively. A logistic regression model was used to estimate the association between osteoporosis and related clinical parameters (e.g., ABSI, eGFR), and to assess the additive and multiplicative interactions between risk factors and osteoporosis. Relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion due to interaction (AP) and synergy index (SI) were calculated to assess the additive interaction.

RESULTS

High ABSI was significantly associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis in participants compared with the lowest quartile of ABSI in both crude and adjusted models. Individuals in the lower quartiles of eGFR had a significantly increased risk of osteoporosis compared with those in the highest quartiles in crude models. After adding age and other variables in the model, the association was abolished. In addition, after adjusting for variables, high ABSI with low eGFR (RERI: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.15-0.75; AP: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.17-0.60) still displayed a noticeable interaction on the risk of osteoporosis. The multiplicative interactive effect between high ABSI with low eGFR on osteoporosis was statistically significant in the multivariable-adjusted model (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our study indicated that higher ABSI increases the risk of osteoporosis independently and synergistically with low eGFR in Chinese elderly adults. The findings increase our understanding of the interactions of osteoporosis risk factors and may help provide potential interventions for osteoporosis.

Weight-adjusted waist index is not superior to conventional anthropometric indices for predicting type 2 diabetes: a secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Weight-adjusted waist index (WWI) is a new anthropometric indicator to assess adiposity. Current knowledge regarding its association with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is limited. This present study aims to evaluate the association of WWI with the risk of T2DM in the Japanese population, and to compare its predictive ability with body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC).

METHODS

This was a secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort study involving 15,464 participants. Participants were divided into quartiles based on baseline WWI levels. Cox regression model, Kaplan-Meier curve, and smooth curve fitting were used to explore the relationship between WWI and T2DM. The discriminative ability of obesity indices in predicting T2DM was compared by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

RESULTS

After a mean follow-up of 6.05 years, 373 participants were diagnosed with T2DM. In fully adjusted models, the risk of incident T2DM was 1.96 times higher for each 1-unit increment in WWI levels (95% CI: 1.61-2.39, P < 0.001). Smooth curve fitting analysis showed a linear positive association between baseline WWI and new-onset T2DM. Subgroup analysis showed consistent results which subjects in the 4th WWI quartile had the highest risk of developing T2DM in different age, gender, and BMI groups. WWI did not exhibit better predictive ability compared with BMI and WC in the results of ROC curve.

CONCLUSION

WWI, a new metabolic index, can be used to predict new-onset T2DM in the Japanese population. However, its predictive capability was not superior to conventional anthropometric indices.

Are ambulatory blood pressure parameters associated more with central adiposity than with total adiposity? Results of the ELSA-Brasil study

Background

Worldwide obesity has a high prevalence, as well as carries a high risk of several chronic diseases, including hypertension. Studies of the association between obesity and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) are scarce and most use only body mass index (BMI) as indicator of adiposity. Thus, we aimed to examine for associations between total and central adiposity and ambulatory BP parameters (BP means and variability, nocturnal dipping and morning surge) among participants in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil).

Methods

This cross-sectional study (2012-2014) used a subsample of participants (n = 812) of ELSA-Brasil who underwent 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring to assess systolic and diastolic BP (SBP and DBP, respectively) over 24-hour periods and sub-periods. Indicators for total adiposity were BMI and body fat (BF) and, for central adiposity, waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHR). Associations were tested using crude and adjusted gamma and logistic regression.

Results

Overweight (BMI) and abdominal obesity (WC and WHR) associated positively with mean 24-hour (Coef = 2.71, 3.09 and 4.00, respectively), waking (Coef = 2.87, 3.26 and 4.16, respectively), and sleeping (Coef = 2.30, 2.74 and 3.50, respectively) SBP; mean DBP associated with high WHR in these three periods (Coef = 2.00, 2.10 and 1.68, respectively) and with WC in the waking period (Coef = 1.44). Overweight and abdominal obesity (WC and WHR) were positively associated with SBP variability over 24 h (Coef = 0.53, 0.45 and 0.49, respectively) and in sleep (Coef = 0.80, 0.74 and 0.59, respectively), and with DBP variability in 24 h (Coef = 0.64, 0.73 and 0.58, respectively), wakefulness (Coef = 0.50, 0.52 and 0.52, respectively) and sleep (Coef = 0.53, 0.45 and 0.49); excess BF associated positively with DBP variability over 24 h (Coef = 0.43) and in wakefulness (Coef = 0.38). Lastly, high WHR and excess BF were associated with higher odds of extreme dipping (OR = 1.03 for both), while high WC and WHR associated with higher odds of exacerbated diastolic morning surge (OR = 3.18 and 3.66, respectively).

Conclusion

Indicators of adiposity were associated with the BP means and variability, nocturnal dipping and morning surge, with more substantial results for indicators of central adiposity that the others.

Comparisons and associations among anthropometric indices of first and second division and assistant soccer referees

Introduction

Body composition is an important predictor of performance and a key component of health and physical fitness. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to compare soccer referees of the first and second divisions and field assistant referees from Iran and to analyze associations of a body shape index (ABSI), body adiposity index (BAI), abdominal volume index (AVI), body roundness index (BRI), conicity index (ConI), and body mass index (BMI) with body fat percentage (%BF).

Methods

A total of 270 male soccer referees from the first (n = 124) and second (n = 72) divisions and assistant referees (n = 74) participated in this study. Skinfold thickness (measured at the chest, biceps, triceps, subscapular, abdominal, iliac crest, and front thigh), height, weight, hip circumference, and waist circumference were assessed to evaluate waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), %BF, and also ABSI, BRI, BAI, ConI, and AVI according to the ISAK protocol.

Results

The main results indicated differences in WHR, WHtR, ABSI, BRI, AVI, ConI, and BF% with the assistant referees presenting higher values (p < 0.05). When considering the backward selection model, there were some associations with %BF in each group, specifically BMI, BAI, and ABSI in the first division; BMI, WHR, and ABSI in the second division; and BMI in the assistant referee group (all p < 0.05).

Discussion

The present study did not confirm the hypothesis that the first-division referees presented better body composition-related variables than the second division or assistant referees. Instead, it showed that the assistant referees that participated in both divisions showed a tendency to higher values which suggests that the level of division is not a major factor when analyzing body composition.

Determining the best method for evaluating obesity and the risk for non-communicable diseases in women of childbearing age by measuring the body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-height ratio, A Body Shape Index, and hip index

OBJECTIVE

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are linked to excessive adiposity and anthropometric indices can be used to identify those at risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the precision of anthropometric indices in identifying obesity and risk factors for NCDs and to investigate the emergence of obesity-related NCDs in young women in Sri Lanka.

METHODS

We recruited 282 women 18 to 35 y of age from suburban and rural areas in Sri Lanka. We measured the women's height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), A Body Shape Index(ABSI), hip circumference (HC), hip index (HI), anthropometric risk index (ARI), fasting serum glucose, fasting serum insulin, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, triacylglycerols, and ovulatory gonadal hormones (progesterone, testosterone). Comparisons were made between women with normal BMI and those who were overweight or obese using anthropometric and biochemical characteristics.

RESULTS

The prevalence of obesity was highest in WC and in receiver operating characteristic analysis, BMI, WC, and WHtR showed higher sensitivity and lower 1-specificity as indicators of obesity. BMI had an area under the curve (AUC) of 1.000 with 100% sensitivity and 0% 1-specificity. WC had an AUC of 0.941 with 80% sensitivity and 13.4% 1-specificity. Additionally, WHtR showed a 0.974 AUC, 92.1% sensitivity, and 4.9% 1-specificity. The correlations between body size and shapes were assessed among the study participants using Pearson's correlation. More than other measures, WC and WHtR showed a significant correlation with BMI with P < 0.05 (r = 0.888 and 0.737, respectively). Although ABSI and BMI showed only a weak correlation (P = 0.006, r = 0.162), WHR and BMI showed a moderate correlation (P = 0.001, r = 0.477). Although HI demonstrated a negative association with BMI (P = 0.618, r = -0.030), HC exhibited a strong association (P = 0.001, r = 0.749). A significant association with higher odds ratios was found for obesity-related NCD risk factors such as hypertension, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance, hypercholesterolemia, altered ovulatory hormones with these (BMI, WC, WHR, WHtR, ABSI, HI) obesity-assessing criteria (P < 0.05). A significant correlation between WC and hypertriacylglycerolmia (P = 0.001, r = 0.781, odds ratio, >16) was identified. A positive correlation was observed between all MS components and ARI, indicating that ARI may serve as a potential indicator of cardiometabolic risk.

CONCLUSION

BMI, WC, WHtR, and HC are intercorrelated anthropometric measurements that can be used either alone or in combination to define obesity and detect the risk for NCDs, including diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and infertility. On the other hand, BMI, ABSI, and HI are designed to be mutually independent indices and have the advantage of combining the separate risks to generate an overall ARI. Furthermore, ARI appears to be a highly effective predictor of cardiovascular disease.

Differential Associations of 6 Adiposity Indices With Dementia in Older Adults: The MIND-China Study

OBJECTIVES

The cross-sectional association between late-life obesity and dementia is often explained by the obesity paradox. We assessed the potential differential associations of various adiposity indices with dementia and subtypes of dementia in rural Chinese older adults.

DESIGN

A population-based cross-sectional study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

A total of 5277 participants (age ≥60 years; 57.23% female) who were living in rural communities and were examined in March-September 2018 for MIND-China.

METHODS

We used weight, height, and waist circumference (WC) to calculate 6 adiposity indices: body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), weight-adjusted-waist index (WWI), A Body Shape Index (ABSI), body roundness index (BRI), and Conicity Index (ConI). Dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and vascular dementia (VaD) were clinically diagnosed following the international criteria. Data were analyzed with logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Of the 5277 participants, 303 were diagnosed with dementia, including 193 with AD and 99 with VaD. The multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) of dementia associated with the highest (vs lowest) quintile of adiposity index was 2.32 (1.40-3.85) for WWI, 1.56 (1.03-2.36) for ABSI, and 1.40 (0.92-2.11) for ConI. Similarly, higher levels of these 3 adiposity indices were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of AD, whereas a higher BMI was associated with a decreased likelihood of AD. None of the 6 examined adiposity indices was significantly associated with VaD when adjusting for multiple confounders.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

The adiposity index WWI is linearly associated with the likelihood of dementia and AD. An increased WWI may be a clinical marker for the dementia syndrome and Alzheimer's dementia.

Anthropometric Indices With Insulin Resistance in Obese Patients: A Literature Review

The hormone insulin is responsible for regulating the metabolism of proteins, carbs, and lipids by promoting the absorption of molecules such as glucose from the bloodstream into fat, the liver, and skeletal muscle cells. Insulin resistance (IR) is considered to be a physiological response to obesity that inhibits fat from accumulating and supports weight stabilization. People with IR gain less weight than those with insulin sensitivity, and therefore IR individuals have a three-fold increased likelihood of losing more weight when compared with insulin-sensitive individuals. A person's health is jeopardized by obesity, which is defined as excessive or unusual storage of fat in adipose tissue. Early identification using different anthropometric measuring parameters and proper and suitable therapy is essential as the incidence of obesity cases is increasing as a result of sedentary lifestyles, bad eating habits, a lack of physical exercise, and a lack of knowledge among young adults. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, following which based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, eight articles were considered for the review. The analysis showed that all the parameters are easily accessible and hence can be used in daily practices. Due to being readily available, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) constituted the most often employed anthropometric measures in everyday practices. In addition, variances in the values of the variables were seen due to differences in gender.

Association of lipid accumulation product with type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose

Novel anthropometric measures are simple, applicable, and inexpensive tools for cardiovascular risk assessment. This study evaluates the association of lipid accumulation product (LAP) with hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and all-cause mortality, and compares it with other anthropometric measures.

Methods

PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Scopus were systematically searched for articles published until May 15, 2021. We included all the studies that had measured LAP predictability for T2DM, all-cause mortality, and hypertension with no limitation in comorbidities and follow-up duration. We assessed the predictability measures of LAP for the aforementioned outcomes. We also performed a meta-analysis on four articles on mortality using an inverse variance method by the "meta" package in R software.

Results

Twenty-nine studies were included in the review after applying the eligibility criteria. The hazard ratio for all-cause mortality per one standard deviation increment of LAP was 1.24 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00-1.53; P = 0.0463) in females, and 1.07 (95% CI: 0.74-1.57; P = 0.709) in males. All included studies found a direct association between LAP with T2DM and hypertension. However, studies used different cut-off points for LAP. Most studies found that LAP was superior in predicting T2DM and hypertension compared to conventional indices, e.g., body mass index and waist circumference. We found that LAP may have higher prognostic significance in females compared to males.

Conclusion

LAP is an inexpensive method to evaluate the risk of all-cause mortality, T2DM, and hypertension, and could outperform conventional anthropometric indices in this regard.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40200-022-01114-z.

Perceived urban environment attributes and obesity indices in adults: an 8-Nation study from Latin America

This study examines the associations between perceived urban environment attributes and obesity indices by country using data from an eight-nation study from Latin America. The data were collected from 8185 adults. The Neighbourhood Environment Walkability-abbreviated scale was used to assess perceived urban environment attributes. Obesity indices considered were body mass index, waist circumference, neck circumference, a body shape index and waist-to-height ratio. The perception of a more and better land use mix-diversity (β - 0.44; 95% CI - 0.59, - 0.28), traffic safety (- 0.39; - 0.66, - 0.12), and safety from crime (- 0.36; - 0.57, - 0.15) was associated with lower body mass index across the entire sample. Land use mix-diversity (- 1.21; - 1.60, - 0.82), street connectivity (- 0.26; - 0.37, - 0.15), and traffic safety (- 0.79; - 1.47, - 0.12) were negatively associated with waist circumference. Land use mix-diversity (- 0.11; - 0.20, - 0.03), land use mix-access (- 0.23; - 0.34, 0.12), walking/cycling facilities (- 0.22; - 0.37, - 0.08), and safety from crime (- 0.27; - 0.42, - 0.12) were negatively associated with neck circumference. No associations between perceived urban environment attributes and a body shape index were found. Land use mix-diversity (- 0.01; - 0.02, - 0.01), aesthetics (- 0.02; - 0.03, - 0.01), and safety from crime (- 0.02; - 0.04, - 0.01) were associated with waist-to-height ratio. Environmental interventions involving urban environment attributes are associated with obesity indices and, therefore, may help decrease the prevalence of overweight and obesity.

Exploring the relationships between anthropometric indices of adiposity and physical performance in middle-aged and older Brazilian women: a canonical correlation analysis

OBJECTIVES

This study analyzed the influence of anthropometric indices of adiposity on the physical performance of middle-aged and older women.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 368 women from 50 years to 80 years old. Anthropometric and biochemical characteristics were analyzed, and physical performance was evaluated. The statistical analysis used measures of central tendency and dispersion for descriptive data, Pearson correlations to demonstrate the initial associations between the variables, and canonical correlation (CC) to evaluate the relationship between the set of anthropometric adiposity indices and performance-related variables.

RESULTS

The participants had a mean age of 58.57±8.21 years, a visceral adiposity index of 7.09±4.23, a body mass index of 29.20±4.94 kg/m2, and a conicity index of 1.33±0.07. The average handgrip strength was 25.06±4.89 kgf, gait speed was 1.07±0.23 m/s, and the mean Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score was 10.83±1.36. The first canonical function presented the highest shared variance, CC, and redundancy index (cumulative percentage of variance, 82.52; Wilks' lambda, 0.66; CC, 0.532; p<0.001). From the analysis of this canonical function, the conicity index (-0.59) displayed inverse correlations with handgrip strength (0.84) and the SPPB (0.68), as well as a direct correlation with gait speed (-0.43).

CONCLUSIONS

In middle-aged and older women, there was an inverse relationship between the conicity index and muscle strength and power, while a direct relationship was found between the same index and gait speed.

Comparison of obesity-related indicators for identifying metabolic syndrome among normal-weight adults in rural Xinjiang, China

Background

This study aimed to compare the ability of certain obesity-related indicators to identify metabolic syndrome (MetS) among normal-weight adults in rural Xinjiang.

Methods

A total of 4315 subjects were recruited in rural Xinjiang. The questionnaire, biochemical and anthropometric data were collected from them. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the association between the z-score of each index and MetS. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to compare the diagnostic ability of each index. According to the cut-off value of each index, nomogram models were established and their diagnostic ability were evaluated.

Results

After adjusting for confounding factors, each indicator in different genders was correlated with MetS. Triglyceride-glucose index (TyG index) showed the strongest association with MetS in both males (OR = 3.749, 95%CI: 3.173–4.429) and females (OR = 3.521,95%CI: 2.990–4.148). Lipid accumulation product (LAP) showed the strongest diagnostic ability in both males (AUC = 0.831, 95%CI: 0.806–0.856) and females (AUC = 0.842, 95%CI: 0.820–0.864), and its optimal cut-off values were 39.700 and 35.065, respectively. The identification ability of the TyG index in different genders (males AUC: 0.817, females AUC: 0.817) was slightly weaker than LAP. Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) had the similar AUC (males: 0.717, females: 0.747) to conicity index (CI) (males: 0.734, females: 0.749), whereas the identification ability of a body shape index (ABSI) (males AUC: 0.700, females AUC: 0.717) was relatively weak. Compared with the diagnostic ability of a single indicator, the AUC of the male nomogram model was 0.876 (95%CI: 0.856–0.895) and the AUC of the female model was 0.877 (95%CI: 0.856–0.896). The identification ability had been significantly improved.

Conclusion

LAP and TyG index are effective indicators for identifying MetS among normal-weight adults in rural Xinjiang. Nomogram models including age, CI, LAP, and TyG index can significantly improve diagnostic ability.

Development of the Anthropometric Grouping Index for the Eastern Caribbean Population Using the Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network (ECHORN) Cohort Study Data

Improving public health initiative requires an accurate anthropometric index that is better suited to a specific community. In this study, the anthropometric grouping index is proposed as a more efficient and discriminatory alternative to the popular BMI for the Eastern Caribbean population. A completely distribution-free cluster analysis was performed to obtain the 11 categories, leading to AGI-11. Further, we studied these groups using novel non-parametric clustering summaries. Finally, two generalized linear mixed models were fitted to assess the association between elevated blood sugar, AGI-11 and BMI. Our results showed that AGI-11 tends to be more sensitive in predicting levels of elevated blood sugar compared to BMI. For instance, individuals identified as obese III according to BMI are (POR: 2.57; 95% CI: (1.68, 3.74)) more likely to have elevated blood sugar levels, while, according to AGI, individuals with similar characteristics are (POR: 3.73; 95% CI: (2.02, 6.86)) more likely to have elevated blood sugar levels. In conclusion, the findings of the current study suggest that AGI-11 could be used as a predictor of high blood sugar levels in this population group. Overall, higher values of anthropometric measures correlated with a higher likelihood of high blood sugar levels after adjusting by sex, age, and family history of diabetes.

Identification of the Best Anthropometric Index for Predicting the 10-Year Cardiovascular Disease in Southwest China: A Large Single-Center, Cross-Sectional Study

INTRODUCTION

This population-based cross-sectional study aimed to identify the best predictor of the 10-year cardiovascular (CV) high risk among old and new anthropometric indices.

METHODS

We investigated 76,915 adults older than 18 years of age living in southwest China. Ten obesity indices were calculated. The 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk was estimated using the Framingham risk score. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to assess the ability of the anthropometric index to predict the 10-year high risk of CVD events.

RESULTS

The waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) had the highest area under the curve (AUC) value (0.711; sensitivity: 62.22%, specificity: 42.73%) in men, while the body fat index (BAI) had the lowest AUC value (0.624, sensitivity: 49.07%, specificity: 54.84%). The waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and the body roundness index (BRI) showed the highest AUC value (0.751, sensitivity: 39.24%, 39.83%, specificity: 75.68%, 68.59%) in women, while the BAI showed the lowest AUC value (0.671, sensitivity: 53.15%, specificity: 57.14%).

CONCLUSIONS

The WHR was the best anthropometric measure for assessing the 10-year high risk of CVD in men, while the WHtR and BRI were the best measures for women. In men, the WHR should be < 0.88, and in women, the WHtR should be < 0.502 or the BRI should be < 3.41.

Association of obesity anthropometric indices with hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hypertriglyceridemia in apparently healthy adult Nigerian population

BACKGROUND

Hypertension, hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia are chronic conditions associated with cardiometabolic diseases. Certain anthropometric indices are known to predict them.

AIM

To investigate the association of anthropometric indices with these chronic diseases and which anthropometric index predicts them best.

METHODS

In this study, 221 apparently healthy individuals who never received treatments for cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes or other chronic diseases participated. The age of the participants ranged from 20-75 years with mean age of 36.9 ± 11.4 years. The risk factors of these diseases namely systolic blood pressures (SBP) and diastolic blood pressures (DBP), fasting blood glucose (FBG) and triglycerides (TG) were determined for all the participants using standard clinical procedures. The obesity anthropometric indices, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, waist-to-hip ratio and body mass index as well as abdominal height (AH) and body surface index were determined. The association between each of them with the risk factors were determined by the Pearson correlation method.

RESULTS

From the results, it was found that AH showed superiority over the rest for SBP (r = 0.301, P < 0.01), DBP (r = 0.370, P < 0.01), FBG (r = 0.297, P < 0.01) and TG (r = 0.380, P < 0.01). Using the receiver operating characteristic curves, cut-off values of AH for SBP, DBP, FBG and TG were determined to be 24.75 cm, 24.75 cm, 25.25 cm and 24.75 cm respectively.

CONCLUSION

The indices of anthropometry used in this study correlated significantly with the studied CVD risk factors, with AH emerging as the most predictive.

The association of a body shape index and visceral adiposity index with neurotrophic, hormonal and metabolic factors among apparently healthy women: a cross-sectional analysis

Purpose

A body shape index (ABSI) and visceral; adiposity index (VAI) can reflect some cardio-metabolic risk factors in the population. To the best of our knowledge, there are no previous studies conducted on the assessment of the association between neurotrophic factors, Ghrelin and Obestatin with ABSI and VAI. We aimed to investigate this association among apparently healthy women.

Methods

Ninety apparently healthy women were recruited in the present study. All participants were in need of dietary intervention for weight loss and participated in the study before receiving any intervention. Dietary, anthropometric, physical activity, stress level and biochemical assessments, as well as blood pressure measurements were done for all participants.

Results

Women in the highest tertile of ABSI had significantly lower SBP compared to the lowest ABSI tertile. Women who were in the highest tertile of VAI had significantly lower serum Obestatin levels compared to the first and second tertiles in both crude and adjusted comparisons. Serum NGF, Obestatin and Ghrelin levels were significantly lower in the highest tertile of VAI compared to the lowest tertile in both crude and adjusted comparisons. HOMA-IR, serum insulin, LDL-C, TG and TC were significantly higher in the highest tertile of VAI compared to the lowest tertile. QUICKI in the highest tertiles were significantly lower than the first tertile in adjusted model.

Conclusion

This evidence can be useful for researchers in applying appropriate anthropometric indices regarding different populations with multifactorial metabolic complications. The current findings need approving by prospective population study and also clinical trial researches.

Cut-off values of obesity indices to predict coronary heart disease incidence by time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve analysis in 10-year follow-up in study of Yazd Healthy Heart Cohort, Iran

BACKGROUND

The current study aimed to determine the optimal cut-off of obesity indices for detecting coronary heart disease (CHD) in 10-year study of Yazd Healthy Heart Cohort (YHHC) in Iran.

METHODS

A total of 2000 individuals aged 20-74 years were enrolled. All participants without cardiovascular disease (CVD) had a full medical check-up at the start of the study. At the start of the study, a variety of obesity indices were assessed and calculated, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHpR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), A Body Shape Index (ABSI), abdominal volume index (AVI), body adiposity index (BAI), and body roundness index (BRI). Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), myocardial infarction (MI), Rose Angina Questionnaire (RAQ) (chest pain) greater than 3, and electrocardiographic (ECG) changes in favour of the coronary artery disease (CAD) were considered as the CVD risks. A time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve with right-censored data and naive estimator was used to estimate the time-dependent sensitivity and specificity and the best cut-off of the anthropometric indices for CHD risk.

RESULTS

Overall, 1623 participants (818 men and 805 women) with mean and standard deviation (SD) of weight of 71.21 ± 12.94 kg were included. In a 10-year follow-up, 101 [59 (58.42%) men and 42 (41.58%) women] developed CVD event. WHpR demonstrated the largest area under the time-dependent ROC curve (AUC) of 0.65 and 0.63 as well as 95% confidence interval (CI) of 58.64-72.66 and 50.74-75.55 for men and women, respectively, in predicting CVD. Optimal WHpR cut-off was 0.93 and 0.92, respectively, for men and women.

CONCLUSION

WHpR index was superior to other obesity indices in predicting CHD.

Association between anthropometric indices and non-anthropometric components of the metabolic syndrome in Saudi adults

Context

Waist circumference (WC) is used in screening for metabolic syndrome (MetS) based on its association with cardiometabolic risk. This might apply differently in ethnically different populations. Associations with other measures are also unclear.

Objective

This work aimed to investigate the association between neck circumference (NC), WC, WC:hip circumference, WC:height (WC:Ht), NC:Ht, fat percentage, body mass index (BMI), conicity index, abdominal volume index, and weight-adjusted waist index with nonanthropometric components of MetS in nondiabetic Saudi adults.

Methods

This cross-sectional study took place in public health centers in Jeddah, comprising 1365 Saudi adults (772 men and 593 women) aged 18 years or older not previously diagnosed with diabetes.

Main outcome measures included

the presence of 2 or more nonanthropometric components of the MetS were used to define clinical metabolic abnormality (CMA). The predictive ability of studied anthropometric indices for CMA was determined using the area under receiver operating characteristics (AUC) curve and binary logistic regression.

Results

A total of 157 men and 83 women had CMA. NC and NC:Ht had the highest predictive ability for CMA in men (odds ratio [OR]_NC = 1.79, P < .001 and OR_NC:Ht = 1.68, P < .001; AUC_NC = 0.69 [95% CI, 0.64-0.74] and AUC_NC:Ht = 0.69 [95% CI, 0.64-0.73]). In women, WC had the highest predictive ability OR_WC = 1.81, P < .001; AUC_WC = 0.75 [95% CI, 0.69-0.80]).

Conclusion

Upper-body anthropometric indicators that were associated with subcutaneous fat had the highest predictive ability for CMA in men whereas abdominal obesity indictors had the best predictive ability in women, suggesting that fat distribution might contribute to CMA in a sex-specific manner.

A Multivariate Analysis of “Metabolic Phenotype” Patterns in Children and Adolescents with Obesity for the Early Stratification of Patients at Risk of Metabolic Syndrome

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is closely linked to obesity; however, not all individuals with obesity will develop obesity-related complications and a metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) group is also described. Objective: To perform a multivariate analysis (MVA) of the anthropometric and biochemical data in pediatric patients with obesity to reveal a “phenotype” predictive for MS. Methods: We analyzed 528 children with obesity (OB) and 119 normal-weight pediatric patients (NW). Adiposity indices were recorded, and MS was detected. MVA was performed. Results: Analysis of the structure of correlation of the variables showed that the variables of waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and estimated fat mass (eFM) were positively correlated with each other as a whole. In addition, the variables of the triglycerides (TG), triglyceride–glucose (TyG) index, and visceral adiposity index were positively correlated with each other as a whole, although none were correlated with the variables of BMI z-score, waist-to-height ratio, WC, eFM, or weight. The variables that related to insulin resistance (IR) and dyslipidemia were crucial for the early stratification of patients at risk of MS. Conclusions: Independently of body weight, IR, dyslipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and fat distribution seem to be the strongest MS risk factors. The early detection of and intervention in these modifiable risk factors are useful to protect children’s health.

The waist-to-body mass index ratio as an anthropometric predictor for cardiovascular outcome in subjects with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

Obesity is an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, ‘obesity paradox’ is observed in patients with coronary artery disease while defining obesity by body mass index (BMI). The purpose of this study is to identify a better anthropometric parameter to predict cardiovascular events in patients with ASCVD. The study was conducted using the Taiwanese Secondary Prevention for patients with AtheRosCLErotic disease (T-SPARCLE) Registry. A total of 6,920 adult patients with stable ASCVD, enrolled from January 2010 to November 2014, were included, with a mean age of 65.9 years, 73.9% males, and a mean BMI of 26.3 kg/m² at baseline. These patients were followed up for a median of 2.5 years. The study endpoint was the composite major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), defined as cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction or stroke, or cardiac arrest with resuscitation. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression showed a significant positive association between waist-to-BMI ratio and MACE (adjusted hazard ratio 1.69 per cm‧m²/kg increase in waist-to-BMI ratio, 95% CI 1.12–2.49, p = 0.01) after adjusting for potential risk factors and confounders. Traditional anthropometric parameters, such as BMI, weight, waist and waist-hip ratio, or newer waist-based indices, such as body roundness index and a body shape index, did not show any significant linear associations (p = 0.09, 0.30, 0.89, 0.54, 0.79 and 0.06, respectively). In the restricted cubic spline regression analysis, the positive dose–response association between waist-to-BMI ratio and MACE persisted across all the range of waist-to-BMI ratio. The positive dose–response association was non-linear with a much steeper increase in the risk of MACE for waist-to-BMI ratio > 3.6 cm‧m²/kg. In conclusion, waist-to-BMI ratio may function as a positive predictor for the risk of MACE in established ASCVD patients.

Body Shape Index and Cardiovascular Risk in Individuals With Obesity

Introduction: Cardio-metabolic risks are tested to show various anthropometric measurements. This study aimed to evaluate a body shape index (ABSI) of individuals with obesity to determine the role of these measurements in cardiovascular risk prediction.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 368 patients who were evaluated by the researcher in the polyclinic. Sociodemographic information was obtained, and anthropometric measurements were made. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and ABSI were evaluated in all patients. The patient’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease was calculated from the pooled cohort equations risk calculator (PRCAE), Framingham risk score, and systematic coronary risk evaluation (SCORE) risk calculation systems.

Results: Of the 368 patients in the study, 302 (82.1%) were females, and 66 (17.9%) were males. The average age of participants was 46.2 ± 12.0 years. The median BMI of participants was 37.5 (34.0-42.4) kg/m². The median ABSI of participants was 0.0816 (0.0775-0.0849). A positive correlation was found between ABSI and Framingham risk score and PRCAE risk score (r = 0.297, p = 0.000 and r = 0.305, p = 0.000, respectively). A significant relationship was found between ABSI and Framingham, PRCAE, and SCORE risk groups (p = 0.000, p = 0.000, and p = 0.000, respectively).

Conclusions: Our study results revealed a significant association of ABSI with Framingham, PRCAE, and SCORE risk calculation systems, which helps predict cardiovascular risk.

A body shape index could serve to identify individuals with metabolic syndrome and increased arterial stiffness in the middle-aged population

BACKGROUND

A body shape index (ABSI) is a novel anthropometric measure calculated using waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and body height. This study investigated the usefulness of ABSI to identify individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and increased arterial stiffness in the middle-aged population.

METHODS

Middle-aged workers who underwent periodic health check-ups and who were without previous cardiovascular events were enrolled (n = 10,182). In addition to ABSI, visceral fat area (VFA) was evaluated using computed tomography. Obesity and MetS were diagnosed on the basis of WC, VFA, and ABSI. Arterial stiffness was examined by measuring the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI).

RESULTS

ABSI was significantly associated with CAVI in multivariable regression analysis. Logistic regression analysis revealed that ABSI was independently associated with the presence of MetS diagnosed on the basis of WC or VFA after adjustment for potential confounders, including BMI. Subjects with MetS diagnosed on the basis of each obesity index showed higher CAVI values than those without. Among subjects with MetS diagnosed on the basis of WC or VFA, those with MetS who met the definition of ABSI obesity showed significantly higher CAVI than those who did not. The other logistic regression analysis demonstrated that CAVI was independently associated with MetS defined on the basis of ABSI.

CONCLUSIONS

ABSI was significantly associated with CAVI and the presence of MetS in the middle-aged population and helped to discriminate individuals with MetS and increased CAVI. ABSI could serve to identify individuals with MetS and increased arterial stiffness.

Predictive Ability of the Estimate of Fat Mass to Detect Early-Onset Metabolic Syndrome in Prepubertal Children with Obesity

Body mass index (BMI), usually used as a body fatness marker, does not accurately discriminate between amounts of lean and fat mass, crucial factors in determining metabolic syndrome (MS) risk. We assessed the predictive ability of the estimate of FM (eFM) calculated using the following formula: FM = weight - exp(0.3073 × height2 - 10.0155 ×d-growth-standards/standards/body-mass-index-for-age-bmi-for-age weight- 1 + 0.004571 × weight - 0.9180 × ln(age) + 0.6488 × age0.5 + 0.04723×male + 2.8055) (exp = exponential function, score 1 if child was of black (BA), south Asian (SA), other Asian (AO), or other (other) ethnic origin and score 0 if not, ln = natural logarithmic transformation, male = 1, female = 0), to detect MS in 185 prepubertal obese children compared to other adiposity parameters. The eFM, BMI, waist circumference (WC), body shape index (ABSI), tri-ponderal mass index, and conicity index (C-Index) were calculated. Patients were classified as having MS if they met ≥ 3/5 of the following criteria: WC ≥ 95th percentile; triglycerides ≥ 95th percentile; HDL-cholesterol ≤ 5th percentile; blood pressure ≥ 95th percentile; fasting blood glucose ≥ 100 mg/dL; and/or HOMA-IR ≥ 97.5th percentile. MS occurred in 18.9% of obese subjects (p < 0.001), with a higher prevalence in females vs. males (p = 0.005). The eFM was correlated with BMI, WC, ABSI, and Con-I (p < 0.001). Higher eFM values were present in the MS vs. non-MS group (p < 0.001); the eFM was higher in patients with hypertension and insulin resistance (p < 0.01). The eFM shows a good predictive ability for MS. Additional to BMI, the identification of new parameters determinable with simple anthropometric measures and with a good ability for the early detection of MS, such as the eFM, may be useful in clinical practice, particularly when instrumentation to estimate the body composition is not available.

Individual and Combined Performance of Indicators of Overall and Central Obesity to Estimate Coronary Risk in ELSA-Brasil Participants

BACKGROUND

Anthropometric indicators have been used in clinical practice and epidemiological studies for screening of health risk factors.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the individual discriminatory power of body adiposity index (BAI), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-hip-ratio (WHR) to identify individuals at risk for coronary heart disease and to evaluate whether combinations of anthropometric indicators of overall obesity with indicators of central obesity improve predictive ability in adults.

METHODS

A total of 15,092 participants (54.4% women) aged 35-74years were assessed at baseline of the ELSA-Brasil study. Individuals at risk for coronary heart disease were identified using the Framingham risk score and divided into very-high risk (VHR 20%) and high risk (HR10%). Measures of diagnostic accuracy and area under the ROC curves (AUC) were analyzed. Associations were tested using Poisson regression analysis with robust variance, according to age and sex. Statistical significance was set at 5%.

RESULTS

WHR showed the highest discriminatory power for VHR20% in all groups, with higher predictive ability in women (AUC: 0.802; 95%CI: 0.748-0.856 vs 0.657; 95%CI: 0.630-0.683 in the age range of 35-59 years, and AUC: 0.668; 95%CI: 0.621-0.715 vs 0.611; 95%CI: 0.587-0.635 in the age range of 60-74 years). BAI + WHR and BMI + WHR had the highest predictive power in men and women, respectively. Combinations of indicators of overall obesity with indicators of central obesity were more strongly associated with VHR20% and HR10% in all subgroups.

CONCLUSION

Combined indicators had greater predictive ability than indicators taken individually. BAI+ WHR and BMI + WHR were the best estimators of coronary risk in men and women, respectively, and WHR had the best individual performance.

Anthropometric Indicators as a Tool for Diagnosis of Obesity and Other Health Risk Factors: A Literature Review

Obesity is characterized by the accumulation of an excessive amount of fat mass (FM) in the adipose tissue, subcutaneous, or inside certain organs. The risk does not lie so much in the amount of fat accumulated as in its distribution. Abdominal obesity (central or visceral) is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer, having an important role in the so-called metabolic syndrome. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent, detect, and appropriately treat obesity. The diagnosis is based on anthropometric indices that have been associated with adiposity and its distribution. Indices themselves, or a combination of some of them, conform to a big picture with different values to establish risk. Anthropometric indices can be used for risk identification, intervention, or impact evaluation on nutritional status or health; therefore, they will be called anthropometric health indicators (AHIs). We have found 17 AHIs that can be obtained or estimated from 3D human shapes, being a noninvasive alternative compared to X-ray-based systems, and more accessible than high-cost equipment. A literature review has been conducted to analyze the following information for each indicator: definition; main calculation or obtaining methods used; health aspects associated with the indicator (among others, obesity, metabolic syndrome, or diabetes); criteria to classify the population by means of percentiles or cutoff points, and based on variables such as sex, age, ethnicity, or geographic area, and limitations.

Are body roundness index and a body shape index in the first trimester related to foetal macrosomia?

This study investigated the effectiveness of maternal Body Roundness Index (BRI), Body Shape Index (ASBI), and Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI) in predicting foetal macrosomia and small for gestational age (SFGA) babies in obese and non-obese pregnant women. This prospective trial included 168 pregnant women (99 obese and 69 non-obese). A logistic regression model was used to identify the independent risk factors of foetal macrosomia and SFGA. BRI, waist/hip ratio, HbA1c and HOMA-IR were found to be significantly associated with increased macrosomia risk in obese women (OR = 1.469, % CI: 1.126-1.917, p = .005; OR = 4.289, % CI: 0.178-1.030, p = .012, OR = 6.277, %Cl: 1.233-31.948, p = .027, and OR = 1.393, %Cl: 1.060-1.832, p = .017). The present study indicates that first-trimester BRI and waist/hip ratio may be powerful determinants in predicting foetal macrosomia in obese pregnant women.Impact statementWhat is already known on this subject? Obesity is a major risk factor for maternal and foetal morbidity and mortality. The rate of obesity continues to increase rapidly around the world. The accuracy of ultrasound in estimated foetal weight is reduced in obese pregnant women. The Body Roundness Index (BRI) is a new anthropometric index that shows body fat distribution.What do the results of this study add? Our results show that the BRI was an independent risk factor associated with foetal macrosomia in obese pregnant women.What are the implications of these findings for future clinical practice and/or further research? BRI measurements should be taken before pregnancy to help predict shoulder dystocia, GDM, FGR and foetal macrosomia in obese women.

Self-Reported Physical Fitness in Children and Adolescents with Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Analysis on the Level of Alignment with Multiple Adiposity Indexes

Obesity has been associated with several alterations that could limit physical activity (PA) practice. In pediatrics, some studies have highlighted the importance of enjoyment as a motivation to begin and maintain adherence in PA. Since self-reported physical (SRPF) fitness was related to motivation, the aim of this study was to investigate the existence of differences between SRPF in children with obesity (OB) compared to normal weight (NW). The International Fitness Enjoyment Scale (IFIS) questionnaire was administered to 200 OB and 200 NW children. In all the subjects, height, weight, and BMI and in OB children adiposity indexes including waist circumference (WC), body shape index (ABSI), triponderal mass index (TMI), and fat mass were measured. NW group showed higher IFIS item scores than the OB group (p < 0.01), except in muscular strength. In OB, the anthropometric outcomes were inversely correlated to SRPF outcome except for muscular strength. OB children reported a lower perception of fitness that could limit participation in PA/exercise programs. The evaluation of anthropometric patterns may be useful to prescribe a tailored exercise program considering individual better self-perception outcomes to obtain an optimal PA adherence.

Subclinical Hypothyroidism Represents Visceral Adipose Indices, Especially in Women With Cardiovascular Risk

Context

From previous studies, decreased thermogenesis and metabolic rate in the patients with overt and subclinical hypothyroidism lead to an increase in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) incidence, and which was associated with cardiovascular diseases. In this paper, we want to explore the relationship between various forms of VAT [pericardial (PCF), and thoracic periaortic adipose tissue (TAT)] and obesity indices [body shape index (ABSI), and body roundness index (BRI), Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI)] with subclinical hypothyroidism by gender.

Objective

This study aims to evaluate region-specific cardiovascular (CV) fat tissue (pericardial fat [PCF] and thoracic periaortic fat [TAT) and noninvasive visceral adipose indices (a body shape index [ABSI], body roundness index [BRI]), and Chinese visceral adiposity index [CVAI]) in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) as compared to a control population and relative to variations in CV risk.

Methods

A total of 125 Taiwanese patients recently diagnosed with SCH (age: 52.9 ± 10.16 years, 41.6% female) and 1519 healthy volunteers (age: 49.54 ± 9.77 years, 29.0% female) were evaluated for this study. All participants underwent PCF and TAT assessment using a multidetector computed tomography scanner, ABSI, BRI, and CVAI evaluation using a mathematical formula. CV risk was classified by Framingham risk score (FRS).

Results

Multivariable logistic regression models showed that the independent association of TAT and BRI with SCH were stronger in women than men. The adjusted model associations (odds ratio [OR]; 95% CI) with SCH for TAT and BRI in women were 2.61 (95% CI, 1.03-6.97) and 2.04 (95% CI, 1.07-3.92). The incidences of TAT and BRI third tertile were also higher in women with SCH (SCH vs euthyroid, TAT third tertile, 9 [17.3%] vs 35 [7.9%], P = .04; BRI third tertile, 22 [42.3%] vs 111 [25.2%], P = .01). In addition to BRI and TAT, there were higher risks of CVAI in SCH with intermediate/high FRS, especially in women (OR; 95% CI, TAT: 4.01; 95% CI, 1.01-6.640; BRI: 6.91; 95% CI, 1.03-10.23; CVAI: 7.81 95% CI, 1.01-12.03).

Conclusion

Our findings show that patients with SCH have significantly greater TAT, BRI, and CVAI values than control groups, especially in women (with different FRS).

Sex-Specific Differences in the Relationship between Insulin Resistance and Adiposity Indexes in Children and Adolescents with Obesity

New indexes of adiposity have been introduced to evaluate body-fat distribution and cardiometabolic risk. However, data on the correlation between Insulin Resistance (IR) and these new indexes are limited. We therefore evaluated the relationship between IR and adiposity indexes in children and adolescents with obesity, focusing on gender differences. We retrospectively enrolled 586 patients with obesity (10.80 ± 2.63; 306F/279M). As adiposity indexes we considered body mass index (BMI), BMI-z score, WC, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), a body shape index (ABSI), triponderal mass index (TMI), visceral adiposity index (VAI) and conicity index (ConI). The homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), HOMA of percentage β-cell function (HOMA-β), quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI), and triglyceride and glucose index (TyG-index) were measured and recorded as IR surrogates. In both sexes, WC and VAI significantly correlated with all IR measurements (p < 0.001). BMI significantly correlated (p < 0.001) with all IR parameters except for the TyG-index in females. Fat mass and TMI correlated with IR parameters only in females, BMI-z score with IR markers except for HOMA-β in males, WHtR with HOMA-β in both sexes (p < 0.05), free fat mass with HOMA-IR and QUICKI only in females (p < 0.01), ConI correlated with the TyG index in females (p = 0.01). Tryglicerides and SBP were correlated with all IR measurements (p < 0.001), in both sexes. Correlations between different sex parameters were significantly more evident in middle puberty. The relationship between IR surrogates and obesity indexes is influenced by gender in pediatrics. Sex-specific differences in obesity-related complications should be considered in preventive intervention decision-making.

Consumption of melatonin supplement improves cardiovascular disease risk factors and anthropometric indices in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Diabetes mellitus is a common chronic disease. Dyslipidemia and hypertension are two complications that may develop in diabetic patients if hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and weight gain are not controlled. This study investigated the effects of melatonin supplementation on some cardiovascular disease risk factors and anthropometric indices in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 50 T2DM patients were randomly allocated to intervention and control groups which received two tablets of either melatonin or placebo (250 mg) once a day for 8 weeks. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), pulse pressure (PP), the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), weight, body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumference (WC, HC), a body shape index (ABSI), abdominal volume index (AVI), body adiposity index (BAI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), conicity index, and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were evaluated in all the patients pre- and post-intervention.

RESULTS

Melatonin supplementation for 8 weeks significantly decreased the mean levels of SBP, MAP, PP, weight, BMI, WC, HC, BAI, AVI, conicity index, and WHtR post-intervention (p <  0.05). Also, the median changes of SBP, MAP, PP, weight, BMI, WC, HC BAI, AVI, and conicity index were significantly lower in the intervention group compared with the control group (p <  0.05). A significant increase (p <  0.001) was observed in the mean levels of ABSI in the intervention group. The median changes of ABSI were significantly greater in the intervention group compared with the control group (p <  0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Consumption of melatonin supplement may be effective in controlling arterial pressure including SBP, MAP, and PP and anthropometric indices (as predictors of obesity) in T2DM patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials IRCT20190303042905N1 . Registered on 17 May 2019.

Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI) in Children and Adolescents with Obesity: No Association with Daily Energy Intake but Promising Tool to Identify Metabolic Syndrome (MetS)

(1) Background. Visceral adiposity index (VAI) has been recently identified as a new cardiometabolic risk marker reflecting abdominal fat distribution and dyslipidaemia. The aim of the present paper was to evaluate the relationship between VAI, daily energy intake and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a cohort of obese Caucasian children and adolescents, aged 8 to 15 years. (2) Methods. Consecutive Italian children and adolescents with obesity, according to World Health Organization were enrolled. Anthropometric parameters and blood pressure were measured. Fasting blood samples have been analyzed for lipids, insulin and glucose levels. MetS was diagnosed using identification and prevention of dietary- and lifestyle-induced health effects in children and infants (IDEFICS) or International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria according to age. Homeostatic model assessment index (HOMA-IR), quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI), A body shape index (ABSI) and VAI were calculated. Multivariable logistic regression analyses with sex, age and each anthropometric parameter (body mass index (BMI) z-score, ABSI, waist-to-height ratio (WHR)) or VAI was performed to predict MetS. Receiver operation curve (ROC) analysis was used to define the optimal VAI cut-off to identify MetS. Multiple regression was performed to predict the BMI z-score and VAI from daily energy intake after adjusting for age and sex. (3) Results. Six hundred and thirty-seven (313 boys and 324 girls) children and adolescents with obesity with median age 11 (interquartile range 10–13) years were included in the analysis. MetS was diagnosed in 79 patients. VAI correlated with BMI, WHR, ABSI, HOMA-IR, QUICKI, systolic blood pressure, low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides and triglycerides-to-HDL ratio (p < 0.050). Optimal VAI cut-off (AUC) values to identify MetS were 1.775 (0.774), 1.685 (0.776) and 1.875 (0.797) in the whole population, boys and girls, respectively. Energy intake was positively associated with BMI z-score but no association was found with VAI. (4) Conclusion. VAI is a promising tool to identify MetS in children and adolescents with obesity and should be used in the management of abdominal obesity together with dietary assessment.

Evaluation of Eight Anthropometric Indices for Identification of Metabolic Syndrome in Adults with Diabetes

PURPOSE

Several previous reports have highlighted the association between adiposity and risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Although it is necessary to identify which adiposity indices are best suited to identify MetS, no such study has been completed in diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of eight anthropometric indices to identify MetS in diabetic, middle-aged and elderly Chinese patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 906 type 2 diabetic patients in Guangxi.

RESULTS

The highest odds ratios for the identification of MetS were identified with CUN-BAE (OR = 28.306). The largest areas under the curve (AUCs) were observed for WHtR and BRI in men aged 40-59; CUN-BAE in men aged 60 and over; WHtR, BRI, and TyG in women aged 40-59; and BMI for women aged 60 and over. The weakest indicator for the screening of MetS in type 2 diabetes was the ABSI.

CONCLUSION

The most effective anthropometric indicator for the identification of MetS varied across sex and age subgroups.

The relationship of body composition indices with the significance, extension and severity of coronary artery disease

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

It is still unclear which anthropometric parameter is most associated with significant coronary artery disease (CAD). We examined the relationship of the prevalence and severity of coronary artery disease with body composition indices.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Patients aged 18-80 years who were admitted to the cardiology outpatient clinic with any complaints, and were indicated for coronary angiography as a result of the examinations, were included in this study and divided into two groups. Group 1 had significant stenosis (161 patients, 104 males, mean age: 64.1 ± 10.5 years), while Group 2 had non-significant stenosis (75 patients, 48 males, mean age: 58.9 ± 11.8 years). Significant stenosis was defined as narrowing of 50% or more of the arterial lumens in any vessel or its lateral branch. Height, weight, waist and hip circumferences and body composition indices of all patients were measured. The SYNTAX and Gensini scores were calculated for all patients undergoing angiography. Group 1 had significantly higher waist circumferences (WC), body roundness indices (BRI), body fat percentages, and waist/height ratios than Group 2. In the correlation analysis, WC, BRI, waist/hip ratio and waist/height ratio were significantly correlated with the Gensini score. WC, hip circumference, BRI, body fat percentage and waist/height ratio were significantly correlated with the SYNTAX score. In the multivariate regression analysis, BRI was the parameter best related to significant CAD.

CONCLUSION

BRI, body fat percentage, waist circumference and waist/height ratio were higher in patients with significant stenosis. BRI was the parameter most closely related to the Gensini and SYNTAX scores and to significant CAD.

Z-score of the log-transformed A Body Shape Index predicts low muscle mass in population with abdominal obesity: The U.S. and Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Sarcopenic obesity is associated with a higher risk of cardiometabolic disease and mortality than either sarcopenia or obesity alone. However, no study has investigated body shape indices for the assessment of sarcopenia in obese populations. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of body shape indices to assess sarcopenia in nationally representative populations with abdominal obesity.

METHODS

Data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (U.S. NHANES) 1999-2006 and Korea NHANES (KNHANES) 2008-2011 were assessed. The association between Body Shape Index and sarcopenia was analyzed using a receiver operating characteristic curve. The Z-score of the log-transformed A Body Shape Index (LBSIZ) cut-off value was defined as that with the highest score of the Youden's index. Changes in odds ratios (OR) for sarcopenia were investigated using restricted cubic spline (RCS) plots.

RESULTS

This study included 8,013 American and 4,859 Korean adults with abdominal obesity. The overall area under the curve (AUC) of LBSIZ for sarcopenia was 0.816 (95% CI: 0.794-0.838) in U.S. NHANES and 0.822 (95% CI: 0.799-0.844) in KNHANES, which was higher than that of the body roundness index, conicity index, and waist to height ratio (p with DeLong's test <0.001). The cut-off values for the LBSIZ were 1.05 (sensitivity, 88.0%; specificity, 81.5%) for American men, 0.45 (sensitivity, 77.1%; specificity, 70.6%) for American women, 1.15 (sensitivity, 77.5%; specificity, 77.1%) for Korean men and 0.95 (sensitivity, 74.3%; specificity, 69.3%) for Korean women in the development groups. Comparable results were verified in validation groups. The RCS plot indicated that ORs for sarcopenia rapidly increased with an increase in the LBSIZ cut-off value.

CONCLUSION

The increased LBSIZ could function as a reliable and cost-effective screening tool for assessing low muscle mass in populations with abdominal obesity.

Sex-bias in the diagnosis of malnutrition in the elderly: a pilot study

This research aimed to show that using different cutoff points for women and men in nutritional assessment through the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and different anthropometric variables, improves the diagnostic accuracy of malnutrition among people over 65 years. A cross-sectional study was carried out in a sample of 240 patients of 65 to 104 years in Córdoba (Spain) between 2013 and 2015. Excluded were those with disabling diseases that prevented informed consent. We assessed Nutritional status using the MNA and the Chang Method (Gold Standard). Global cut points per sex were determined for each independent variable using Receiver Operating Characteristic curves, choosing the best of each according to the highest Youden´s index (J). None of the variables studied showed high precision in the diagnosis of malnutrition in the elderly. Different cutoff points were found for all variables by sex, as well as variations in their validity indexes. The number of lymphocytes was more accurate in women (J = 0.58), being the muscular circumference of the arm the best in men (J = 0.8). Regarding MNA, the Long Form version showed higher sensitivity (S) in women (S = 76%) and short versions in men (S = 71% and 59%) at different cutoff points. The introduction of the sex variable seems determinant to achieve a more accurate diagnostic of malnutrition, avoiding biases derivate from a global study without considering its effect in the development of diseases.

Anthropometric indices and cut-off points in the diagnosis of metabolic disorders

OBJECTIVE

Identifying metabolic disorders at the earliest phase of their development allows for an early intervention and the prevention of serious consequences of diseases. However, it is difficult to determine which of the anthropometric indices of obesity is the best tool for diagnosing metabolic disorders. The aims of this study were to evaluate the usefulness of selected anthropometric indices and to determine optimal cut-off points for the identification of single metabolic disorders that are components of metabolic syndrome (MetS).

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

PARTICIPANTS

We analyzed the data of 12,328 participants aged 55.7±5.4 years. All participants were of European descent.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE

Four MetS components were included: high glucose concentration, high blood triglyceride concentration, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration, and elevated blood pressure. The following obesity indices were considered: waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), body fat percentage (%BF), Clínica Universidad de Navarra-body adiposity estimator (CUN-BAE), body roundness index (BRI), and a body shape index (ABSI).

RESULTS

The following indices had the highest discriminatory power for the identification of at least one MetS component: CUN-BAE, BMI, and WC in men (AUC = 0.734, 0.728, and 0.728, respectively) and WHtR, CUN-BAE, and WC in women (AUC = 0.715, 0.714, and 0.712, respectively) (p<0.001 for all). The other indices were similarly useful, except for the ABSI.

CONCLUSIONS

For the BMI, the optimal cut-off point for the identification of metabolic abnormalities was 27.2 kg/m2 for both sexes. For the WC, the optimal cut-off point was of 94 cm for men and 87 cm for women. Prospective studies are needed to identify those indices in which changes in value predict the occurrence of metabolic disorders best.

Evaluation of Different Adiposity Indices and Association with Metabolic Syndrome Risk in Obese Children: Is there a Winner?

Body shape index (ABSI) and triponderal mass index (TMI) have been recently associated with cardiovascular risk in adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between different anthropometric adiposity indexes and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Caucasian obese children and adolescents. Consecutive obese children aged ≥7 years have been enrolled. Anthropometric parameters, body composition (by bioelectrical impedance), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure have been measured. Fasting blood samples have been analyzed for lipids, insulin, glucose. A multivariate logistic regression analyses, with body mass index z-score, waist to height ratio, ABSI z-score, TMI, conicity index as predictors for MetS (IDEFICS and IDF criteria according to age) has been performed. Four hundred and three (179 boys and 224 girls) obese children, aged 7–20 years, have been evaluated. When we explored the joint contribution of each anthropometric and adiposity index of interest and BMIz on the risk of MetS, we found that the inclusion of ABSIz improved the prediction of MetS compared to BMIz alone. ABSI-BMI can be a useful index for evaluating the relative contribution of central obesity to cardiometabolic risk in clinical management of obese children and adolescents.

Body Composition Indices and Cardiovascular Risk in Type 2 Diabetes. CV Biomarkers are not Related to Body Composition

Background

This study aims to explore the correlations of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and body composition with levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), endothelin 1(ET-1), N-terminal brain natriuretic pro-peptide (NT-proBNP) and calculated cardiovascular risks.

Methods

102 women and 67 men with type 2 diabetes participated. Serum levels of NT-proBNP were measured by electro-hemi-luminescence while ELISA were used for ADMA and ET-1. Cardiovascular risks were calculated using the Framingham Risk Score (FRS), the UKPDS 2.0 and the ADVANCE risk engines. Statistical analysis was performed on an IBM SPSS 19.0.

Results

The BMI outperformed all other indices of obesity (WC, WHtR, WHR), as well as body composition parameters (body fat%, fat mass, fat free mass and total body water) in relation to the estimated risks for coronary heart disease and stroke, based on different calculators. The correlations of the obesity indices with the serum cardiovascular biomarkers were not significant except for BMI and fat mass versus ET-1, and for fat free mass and total body water versus ADMA.

Conclusions

The WC, WHR, WHtR, BF%, FM and FFM apparently do not add significant information related to the levels of cardiovascular biomarkers or the calculated CV-risks.

Relationship Between Modified Body Adiposity Index and A Body Shape Index with Biochemical Parameters in Bariatric Surgery Candidates

BACKGROUND

Body mass index, an estimate of body fat percentage, has been previously shown to be associated with metabolic disorders. However, there is little data on the associations between a body shape index (ABSI) or modified body adiposity index (MBAI), which provide valuable definitions of body fat, with serum biochemical parameter levels. Therefore, this study was conducted to find either ABSI or MBAI associations with serum biochemical parameter levels in bariatric surgery candidates.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 776 bariatric surgery candidates (age range 18-69 years) between November 2010 and September 2017. Demographic data, anthropometric indices, biochemical parameters, and body composition analysis data were drawn from the National Obesity Surgery Database, Iran. ABSI and MBAI were calculated using related equations. A stepwise multivariate linear regression was used to evaluate whether ABSI or MBAI was associated with each serum biochemical parameter.

RESULTS

ABSI, age, and multivitamin/mineral supplementation (MVMS) were independently associated with serum vitamin D (β = 24.374, SE 10.756, P value 0.026; β = 0.022, SE 0.007, P value 0.002; β = 0.639, SE 0.235, P value 0.008). However, a negative association was observed between MBAI and vitamin D (β = - 0.037, SE 0.016, P value 0.025) in a model adjusted for age and MVMS. Additionally, MBAI and age showed a significant positive association with serum HDL-c (β = 0.185, SE 0.085, P value 0.028; β = 0.171, SE 0.033, P value < 0.001), although there was a negative association between male sex and HDL-c (β = - 4.004, SE 0.891, P value < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

ABSI and MBAI may be appropriate indices in predicting serum vitamin D and HDL-c levels.

Predicting Metabolic Syndrome by Visceral Adiposity Index, Body Roundness Index and a Body Shape Index in Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study from the Iranian RaNCD Cohort Data

BACKGROUND

The use of anthropometric indices is one of the new and low-cost diagnostic methods of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The present study aimed to determine optimal cutoff points for the visceral adiposity index (VAI), body roundness index (BRI), and a body shape index (ABSI) in the prediction of MetS.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was performed on 10,000 individuals aged from 35 to 65 years, recruited in Ravansar Non-Communicable Diseases (RaNCD) cohort study, in the west region of Iran, in 2019. MetS was defined according to International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess predictive anthropometric indices and determine optimal cutoff values.

RESULTS

The optimal cutoff points for VAI were 4.11 (AUC: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.81-0.84) in men and 4.28 (AUC: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.85-0.87) in women to prediction of MetS. The optimal cutoff points for BRI were 4.75 (AUC: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.74-0.77) in men and 6.17 (AUC: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.61-0.64) in women to prediction of MetS. The optimal cutoff points for ABSI were 0.12 (AUC: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.47-0.51) in men and 0.13 (AUC: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.47-0.51) in women to prediction of MetS. The risk of MetS in men and women with a VAI higher than the optimal cutoff point was, respectively, 9.82 and 11.44 times higher than that in those with a VAI lower than the cutoff point.

CONCLUSION

Although VAI might not be very cost-beneficial compared to IDF, our study showed VAI is a better predictor of MetS than BRI in adults. ABSI was not a suitable predictor for MetS.

The Usefulness of Anthropometric Indices to Identify the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome

Despite several papers having been published on the association between adiposity and the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS), it is still difficult to determine unambiguously which of the indices of nutritional status is the best to identify MetS. The aim of this study was to analyze the ability of six anthropometric indices to identify MetS in the Polish population. The highest odds ratios for the occurrence of MetS, according to International Diabetes Federation (IDF), were noted for the following indices: waist-to-height ratio (WHtR, OR = 24.87) and Clínica Universidad de Navarra-body adiposity estimator (CUN-BAE, OR = 17.47) in men and WHtR (OR = 25.61) and body roundness index (BRI, OR = 16.44) in women. The highest odds ratios for the modified definition of MetS (without waist circumference) were found for the following indices: WHtR (OR = 7.32), BRI (OR = 6.57), and CUN-BAE (OR = 6.12) in women and CUN-BAE (OR = 5.83), WHtR (OR = 5.70), and body mass index (BMI, OR = 5.65) in men (p < 0.001 for all). According to the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analyses conducted for the identification of MetS, defined in accordance with IDF, the largest areas under the curve (AUCs) in men were observed for WHtR and CUN-BAE indices, whereas in women, they were observed for WHtR and BRI. In the analysis carried out for the identification of MetS (according to modified definition, without waist circumference), the AUCs were larger for WHtR and BRI in women, while in men, they were larger for CUN-BAE, BMI, and WHtR. BMI was also characterized by a relatively strong discriminatory power in identifying individuals with MetS. An optimal cut-off point for MetS, in accordance with the conventional definition, for both sexes was the value of BMI = 27.2 kg/m². The weakest predictor of the syndrome was the ABSI (a body shape index) indicator. The most useful anthropometric indicator for the identification of MetS, both in men and in women in the Polish population, was WHtR. The optimal cut-off points for WHtR equaled 0.56 in men and 0.54 in women.

Association between body adiposity index and coronary risk in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The body adiposity index (BAI) was recently proposed as a better indicator of body adiposity than body mass index in adults. The association between BAI and cardiometabolic risk factors has been widely investigated. However, the strength and magnitude of these associations varied as a function of the endpoint evaluated, the study design, the population investigated, and the cut-off points used. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between BAI and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk in a large sample of Brazilian adults and to propose the most appropriate cut-off points for BAI for the identification of CHD risk in the adult Brazilian population.

METHODS

Data from 15,092 civil servants (54.4% women) from universities and research institutes in six Brazilian states were evaluated in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). All were aged 35-74 years at baseline. The Framingham coronary risk score was used to identify a very high risk of CHD (≥20% risk of CHD over the next 10 years) and a high risk of CHD (≥10% risk). BAI cut-off points capable of detecting a risk of CHD were determined using ROC curves and associations were tested using Poisson regression with robust variance, according to sex and age. Three multivariable models were examined.

RESULTS

BAI remained positively associated with a very high and high risk of CHD following adjustment for potential confounding factors in all the strata and multivariable models (p < 0.05), with the exception of model 3 (adjusted for education level and waist-to-hip ratio) for very a high risk of CHD in younger women (p = 0.06). In the adjusted models, the prevalence ratios for a very high and high risk of CHD, irrespective of age group, varied between 1.23 (95%CI: 1.09-1.39) and 1.64 (1.33-2.03) and 1.07 (1.03-1.12) and 1.47 (1.36-1.60) in men; and 1.57 (1.08-2.31) and 2.42 (1.36-4.31) and 1.29 (1.13-1.47) and 1.82 (1.54-2.15) in women, respectively. The optimal cut-off points of BAI to determine a risk of CHD were: 28.0 in men of both age groups, and 34.0 in younger women and 36.0 in older women to determine a very high risk; and 26.0 in younger men and 34.0 in women of both age groups to determine a high risk. BAI showed a reasonable ability to predict coronary risk in participants of the ELSA-Brasil (AUC>60%, except for the group of men of 60-74 years of age).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher BAI levels were found to be associated with a greater risk of developing CHD in both men and women of different ages participating in the ELSA-Brasil, suggesting that BAI may be a useful tool for screening for CHD risk in Brazilian adults.

Lowered obesity indicator cutoff points more effectively predict 5-year incidence of hypertension in premenopausal women

OBJECTIVE

To compare proposed new cutoff points for four obesity indicators-waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and body mass index (BMI)-with their current cutoff points to determine which are better standards predicting 5-year incidence of hypertension (HT) and diabetes mellitus (DM) among premenopausal women.

DESIGN

Data were obtained from the 2002 and 2007 Survey on the Prevalence of HT, Hyperglycemia and Hyperlipidemia in Taiwan conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan. Premenopausal women were grouped based on the proposed cutoff points versus reference cutoff points for obesity indicators.

PARTICIPANT

A total of 1466 premenopausal women aged between 20 and 57 years old were recruited.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Five-year incidence of HT and DM.

RESULTS

Our new obesity indicator cutoff points-WHtR 0.49, WC 74.7 cm, WHR 0.79 and BMI 22.3 kg/m2-were better predictors for 5-year HT incidence in premenopausal women compared with those of current standards, but were not significantly different for DM. Among the four obesity indicators, WHtR and WC were optimal for their 5-year predictive ability for HT and DM in premenopausal women.

CONCLUSIONS

To avoid too many cutoff points for practitioners to adopt and memorize, the proposed new cutoff points were recommended preferentially to prevent the incidence of HT and DM in premenopausal women.

The role of frailty in predicting mortality and readmission in older adults in acute care wards: a prospective study

Few studies have focused on frailty as a predictor of mortality and readmission among inpatients in the acute care setting, especially over long follow-up periods. We conducted this study to determine the impact of the frailty on subsequent mortality and readmission in this setting. This study was a prospective observational study conducted in the acute geriatric wards, with a three-year follow-up duration. We assessed frailty via the 36-item Frailty Index (FI), and a cut-off value of 0.25 was used to identify the presence or absence of frailty. We collected survival and readmission information through telephone interviews at 12, 24, and 36 months. We used the Cox regression model to examine the association between frailty and outcomes interested (death and readmission). The present study included 271 patients (mean age: 81.1 years old; 20.3% females), of whom 21.4% died during the 3-year follow-up period. One hundred and thirty-three patients (49.1%) were identified as being frail. The prevalence of frailty was similar in men and women (46.8% vs.58.2%, P = 0.130). Compared with non-frail patients, death and hospital readmission rates of frail patients were increased. Frailty was an independent predictor of 3-year death (adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 2.09; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20 to 3.63) and readmission (adjusted HR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.88) after adjusting for several potential confounders. Frailty is prevalent among older inpatients and is a valuable predictor of 3-year mortality and hospital readmission in an acute care setting.