title: Cut-off values for anthropometric variables that confer increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension in Iraq.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Body mass index (BMI) is often used to reflect total body fat amount (general obesity), whereas waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHpR) or waist-to height ratio (WHtR) is used as a surrogate of body fat centralization (central obesity). The purpose of the present study was to identify cut-offs for BMI and upper-body adiposity (WC, WHpR, and WHtR) that, associated with increased risk of type 2 DM and hypertension in Iraqi adults, would be consistent with overweight and central adiposity.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a community-based cross-sectional survey for establishing cut-off values for BMI and upper-body adiposity (WC, WHpR or WHtR) associated with increased risk of type 2 DM and hypertension from one district in Southern Iraq, Basrah (Abu-Al-khasib). The total number of persons involved was 12,986 (6693 men and 6293 women), aged 45.6 +/- 15.7 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cut-off point in men associated with increased risk of type 2 DM and hypertension were BMI 25.4 and 24.9, WC 90 and 95 cm, WHpR 0.92 for both and WHtR 0.52 and 0.55, respectively. For women, the cut-off point associated with increased risk of type 2 DM and hypertension were BMI 26.1 and 26.5, WC 91 and 95 cm, WHpR 0.91 for both, and for WHtR 0.56 and 0.59, respectively. The best index for association with type 2 DM was WHpR with cut-off point of 0.92 for men and 0.91 for women. For hypertension, the best index is WHtR (with cut-off point of 0.55 for men and 0.59 for women), whereas the least reliable index was the BMI for both type 2 DM and hypertension.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our finding showed that, in Iraqi adults, WHpR has the strongest association with type 2 DM and WHtR for hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Basrah College of Medicine, Basrah, Iraq. aambaam@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Abbas Ali
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mansour
authors.forename: Meelad Imad
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Al-Jazairi
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007493:Iraq / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio