title: Measures of adiposity and cardiovascular disease risk factors.
abstract: 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.
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors: Andy
authors: A
authors: Menke
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Muntner
authors: Rachel P
authors: RP
authors: Wildman
authors: Kristi
authors: K
authors: Reynolds
authors: Jiang
authors: J
authors: He
mesh_terms: 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