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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #144585

Title: DISCRIMINATION OF HEALTH RISK BY COMBINED BODY MASS INDEX AND WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE

Author
item ARDERN, CHRISTOPHER - YORK UNIVERSITY
item KATZMARZYK, PETER - YORK UNIVERSITY
item JANSSEN, IAN - HNRCA
item ROSS, ROBERT - QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Obesity Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/30/2002
Publication Date: 1/15/2003
Citation: ARDERN, C.I., KATZMARZYK, P.T., JANSSEN, I., ROSS, R. DISCRIMINATION OF HEALTH RISK BY COMBINED BODY MASS INDEX AND WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE. OBESITY RESEARCH. 11(1):135-42,2003.

Interpretive Summary: Data from the Canadian heart Health Surveys were used to describe the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in Canada and to test the utility of the NIH guidelines for predicting the metabolic syndrome based on body mass index and waist circumference. The sample included 7981 participants aged 20-74 years. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 17% in men and 13% in women. The prediction of the metabolic syndrome was approximately doubled in overweight and obese women with a high waist circumference compared to overweight and obese women with a low waist circumference, respectively. This indicated that in women already at increased risk due to elevated BMI, the additional measurement of waist circumference may allow for the early identification of the metabolic syndrome and associated cardiovascular risk. Waist circumference was not predictive of the metabolic syndrome in men, once BMI was accounted for.

Technical Abstract: U.S. National Institutes of Health clinical guidelines recommend the measurement of waist circumference (WC) within body mass index (BMI) categories as a screening tool for metabolic disorders. Data from the Canadian Heart Health Surveys (1986-92) were used to describe the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in Canada and to test the utility of the NIH guidelines at predicting metabolic risk factors. The sample included 7981 participants aged 20-74 y who had data for WC, BMI, HDL-C, TG, SBP, DBP and diabetic status. National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III risk categories were used to establish the presence of the metabolic syndrome and associated risk factors. Logistic regression was used to test the hypothesis that WC improves the prediction of the metabolic syndrom, within overweight (25-29.9 kg/m2) and obese I (30-34.9 kg/m2) BMI categories. The prevalence of the metabolice syndrome was 17.0% in men and 13.2% in women, and increased across age groups. The odds ratios (OR; 95% CI) for the prediction of the metabolic syndrome was approximately doubled in overweight and obese women with a high WC compared to overweight and obese women with a low WC, respectively. In obese women, WC also predicted low HDL-C. WC was not predictive of the metabolic syndrome or componenet risk factors in men, once BMI was accounted for. In women already at increased risk due to elevated BMI, the additional measurments of WC may allow for the early identification of the metabolic syndrome and associated cardiovascular risk.