Different degrees of overweight: anthropometric indices in patients with coronary heart disease.
OBJECTIVE
Obesity is a risk factor for all-cause mortality. The obesity incidence depends on different definitions. Among patients with high-risk coronary heart disease (HRCA), we have studied differences in obesity incidence, according to different anthropometric indices.


RESULTS
Based on the definitions of the International Guidelines Committees for body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WCF), and waist-hip ratio (WHR), we have classified 487 CAD patients into 3 groups: normal (group 1), overweight (group 2), and obese patients (group 3). Among men, obesity criteria BMI, WCF and WHR were positive in 17.5%, 14.2%, and 66.4% of the subjects. Among male subjects < 65 years, the incidence of HRCA (%), for the 3 groups (normal, overweight, obese) were for BMI (2.4, 21.5, 28.9, P = 0.005); WCF (17.9, 12.1, 37.9, P = 0.012); WHR (0, 15.4, 30.4, P = 0.024). In male subjects > 65 years, for the HRCA incidence (%), only WHR showed a significant difference between the 3 groups (0, 15.4, 30.4, P = 0.024). Among women, 30.6%, 63.6%, and 87.6% were obese by the BMI, WCF, and WHR criteria, respectively. We did not find any significant differences in the HRCA distribution between age groups and degrees of obesity.


CONCLUSIONS
HRCA distribution varied among obese male patients. According to the different methods of measurement, obesity percentages varied from 4- to 5-fold among men and 3-fold among women. In our view,WHR measurement is the method of choice for the determination of obesity among patients with CAD.
Chang
Shih-Tai
ST
Division of Cardiology, Chiayi Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi School, Chang Gung Institute of Technology, Taiwan.
Chu
Chi-Ming
CM
Lin
Pi-Chi
PC
Pan
Kuo-Li
KL
Cheng
Hui-Wen
HW
Yang
Teng-Yao
TY
Chung
Chang-Min
CM
Hsu
Jen-Te
JT
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000145:classification* / Q000150:complications; D050177:Overweight / Q000145:classification* / Q000150:complications; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D055105:Waist Circumference; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio; D055815:Young Adult