title: High prevalence of abdominal, intra-abdominal and subcutaneous adiposity and clustering of risk factors among urban Asian Indians in North India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of abdominal obesity including intra-abdominal and subcutaneous adiposity along with other cardiometabolic risk factors in urban Asian Indians living in New Delhi.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional epidemiological descriptive study with 459 subjects (217 males and 242 females), representing all socio-economic strata in New Delhi. The anthropometric profile [body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and skinfold thickness], fasting blood glucose (FBG) and lipid profile were recorded. Percent body fat (%BF), total abdominal fat (TAF), intra-abdominal adipose tissue (IAAT) and subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue (SCAT) were quantified using predictive equations for Asian Indians.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of obesity was high [by BMI (>25 kg/m(2)), 50.1%]. The prevalence of abdominal obesity (as assessed by WC) was 68.9%, while that assessed by TAF was 70.8%. Increased IAAT was significantly higher in females (80.6%) as compared to males (56.7%) (p = 0.00) with overall prevalence being 69.3%. The overall prevalence of high SCAT was 67.8%, more in males (69.1%) vs. females (66.5%, p = 0.5). The prevalence of type 2 diabetes, the metabolic syndrome and hypertension was 8.5%, 45.3% and 29.2%, respectively. Hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia and low levels of HDL-c were prevalent in 42.7%, 26.6% and 37% of the subjects, respectively. The prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia was significantly higher in males (p = 0.007); however, low levels of HDL-c were more prevalent in females as compared to males (p = 0.00).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High prevalence of generalized obesity, abdominal obesity (by measurement of WC, TAF, IAAT and SCAT) and dysmetabolic state in urban Asian Indians in north India need immediate public health intervention.
authors.affiliation: National Diabetes, Obesity and Cholesterol Diseases Foundation (N-DOC), SDA, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Swati
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhardwaj
authors.forename: Anoop
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Misra
authors.forename: Ranjita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Misra
authors.forename: Kashish
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goel
authors.forename: Surya Prakash
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Bhatt
authors.forename: Kavita
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rastogi
authors.forename: Naval K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Vikram
authors.forename: Seema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gulati
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001519:Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D050507:Subcutaneous Fat, Abdominal / Q000378:metabolism*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*