Changes in body weight and waist circumference affect incident hypercholesterolemia during 7 years of follow-up.
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether changes in total and regional adiposity affect the odds for becoming hypercholesterolemic.


METHODS
Changes in BMI and waist circumference were compared to self-reported physician-diagnosed hypercholesterolemia in 24,397 men and 10,023 women followed prospectively in the National Runners' Health Study.


RESULTS
Incident hypercholesterolemia were reported by 3,054 men and 519 women during (mean +/- s.d.) 7.8 +/- 1.8 and 7.5 +/- 2.0 years of follow-up, respectively. Despite being active, men's BMI increased by 1.15 +/- 1.71 kg/m2 and women's BMI increased by 0.96 +/- 1.89 kg/m2. The odds for developing hypercholesterolemia increased significantly in association with gains in BMI and waist circumferences in both sexes. A gain in BMI > or = 2.4 kg/m2 significantly (P < 0.0001) increased the odds for hypercholesterolemia by 94% in men and 129% in women compared to those whose BMI declined (40 and 76%, respectively, adjusted for average of the baseline and follow-up BMI, P < 0.0001). A gain of > or = 6 cm in waist circumference increased men's odds for hypercholesterolemia by 74% (P < 0.0001) and women's odds by 70% (P < 0.0001) relative to those whose circumference declined (odds increased 40% at P < 0.0001 and 49% at P < 0.01, respectively adjusted for average circumference). BMI and waist circumference at the end of follow-up were significantly associated (P < 0.0001) with the log odds for hypercholesterolemia in both men (e.g., coefficient +/- s.e.: 0.115 +/- 0.011 per kg/m2) and women (e.g., 0.119 +/- 0.019 per kg/m2) when adjusted for baseline values, whereas baseline BMI and circumferences were unrelated to the log odds when adjusted for follow-up values.


CONCLUSIONS
These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that weight gain acutely increases the risk for hypercholesterolemia.
Williams
Paul T
PT
Donner Laboratory, Life Sciences Division, Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA. ptwilliams@lbl.gov
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055105:Waist Circumference