Measures of adiposity and cardiovascular disease risk factors.
OBJECTIVE
To determine which of five measures of adiposity maintains the strongest association with cardiovascular disease risk factors.


METHODS
A nationally representative sample of 12,608 adult participants of the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were examined. Waist circumference, total body fat, percent body fat, BMI, and skinfold thickness were measured following a standardized protocol.


RESULTS
In multivariable adjusted models including waist circumference and BMI as independent variables, waist circumference was a significantly better predictor. The odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for each standard deviation higher waist circumference and BMI for men were as follows: 1.88 (1.43, 2.48) and 0.99 (0.76, 1.29), respectively, for hypertension; 1.51 (0.87, 2.59) and 1.23 (0.76, 1.99), respectively, for diabetes; and 1.85 (1.48, 2.32) and 1.00 (0.80, 1.24), respectively, for low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. The analogous odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for women were as follows: 2.28 (1.74, 3.00) and 0.91 (0.69, 1.19), respectively, for hypertension; 2.72 (1.85, 4.00) and 0.82 (0.55, 1.23), respectively, for diabetes; and 1.90 (1.47, 2.47) and 1.07 (0.83, 1.38), respectively, for low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. Results were markedly similar for waist circumference in models adjusting for total body fat, percent body fat, and skinfold thickness separately. In contrast, waist circumference was not a significantly better predictor of elevated C-reactive protein than the other measures of adiposity.


CONCLUSIONS
Waist circumference maintains a stronger association with cardiovascular disease risk factors than other measures of adiposity.
Menke
Andy
A
Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
Muntner
Paul
P
Wildman
Rachel P
RP
Reynolds
Kristi
K
He
Jiang
J
D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors