Appropriate waist circumference cut-offs to predict diabetes in the Korean population - the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study -.
BACKGROUND
Waist circumference (WC) has been recommended as a screening test to identify individuals at high risk for diabetes. The aim of the present study was to identify the optimal WC cut-off to predict the development of diabetes in non-diabetic Korean subjects.


RESULTS
The Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study is a community-based prospective cohort study of 10,038 individuals over the age of 40, and biennial follow ups were conducted. In the present study 6,206 non-diabetic individuals (2,947 men and 3,259 women) participated. The incidence of diabetes was 22.1 cases/1,000 person-years for men and 17.0 cases/1,000 person-years for women. The incidence rate of diabetes was significantly increased as WC increased in both genders. The sensitivity, specificity, and the distance in the receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that the optimal WC cut-offs to predict diabetes were 85 cm for men and 80 cm for women.


CONCLUSIONS
WC may serve as a simple, precise marker for individuals who are at risk of developing diabetes. The results suggest that a WC of 85 cm for men and 80 cm for women is an appropriate cut-off to predict diabetes in the Korean population.
Division of Cardiovascular and Rare Diseases, Center for Biomedical Science, National Institute of Health, Seoul, South Korea.
Sun-Ja
SJ
Choi
Bhumsuk
B
Keam
Sung-Hee
SH
Park
Hyun-Young
HY
Park
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D055105:Waist Circumference / Q000502:physiology*