title: The effect of body fat distribution on cardiovascular risk factors in the population of the Czech Republic.
abstract: A study of cardiovascular risk factors including anthropometry was performed as part of the MONICA project in 1988 in the population of six districts of the Czech Republic. In addition to probands' weight and height, the circumferences of waist and hips were measured to calculate the index of body fat distribution given as WHR (wast/hip ratio). In the age group of 25-64 years, WHR was significantly higher in men (0.936) than in women (0.836 - p < 0.001); in either sex, its value rose with increasing age. WHR values were statistically significantly higher in this group than those found in a Finnish population where males aged 25-64 years had a mean WHR value of 0.90 (p < 0.001), and women of the same age group had a mean WHR of 0.78 (p < 0.001). An analysis of the relationship between abdominal obesity and some cardiovascular risk factors revealed significant correlations between WHR and total cholesterol (men: r = 0.112, p < 0.001; women: r = 0.122, p < 0.001), HDL cholesterol (men: r = -0.184, p < 0.001; women = -0.23, p < 0.001); atherogenic index, i.e., total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol (men: r = 0.183, p < 0.001; women: r = 0.345, p < 0.001), systolic blood pressure (men: r = 0.295, p < 0.001; women: r = 0.263, p < 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (men: r = 0.32, p < 0.001; women: r = 0.237, p < 0.001). The closest correlation was demonstrated between WHR and BMI (men: r = 0.525, p < 0.001; women r = 0.345, p < 0.001). The authors believe WHR is an important parameter for cardiovascular risk assessment and should be determined on a routine basis. The frequent prevalence of abdominal obesity, as suggested by the high values of WHR, contributes to the high cardiovascular risk of the population of the Czech Republic.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czechoslovakia.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Skodová
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Písa
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cerovská
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grafnetter
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wiesner
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cícha
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pikhartová
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Berka
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vorlícek
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Emrová
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003604:Czechoslovakia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol