title: Measurement of waist circumference predicts coronary atherosclerosis beyond plasma adipokines.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The association of plasma adipokines beyond waist circumference (WC) with coronary artery calcification (CAC), a measure of subclinical atherosclerosis, is unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  Asymptomatic Caucasian individuals from two community-based cross-sectional studies (n = 1,285) were examined and multivariate analysis of traditional risk factors was performed, then WC and adipokines (adiponectin and leptin) were added. Incremental value of each was tested with likelihood ratio testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Beyond traditional risk factors, WC (Tobit regression ratio 1.69, P < 0.001) and plasma leptin (1.57, P < 0.001) but not plasma adiponectin (P = 0.75) were independently associated with CAC. In nested models, neither adiponectin (χ(2) = 0.76, P = 0.38) nor leptin (χ(2) = 1.32, P = 0.25) added value to WC beyond traditional risk factors, whereas WC added incremental value to adiponectin (χ(2) = 28.02, P < 0.0001) and leptin (χ(2) = 13.58, P = 0.0002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the face of important biomarkers such as plasma adiponectin and leptin, WC remained a significant predictor of CAC beyond traditional risk factors underscoring the importance of WC measurement during cardiovascular risk assessment.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Subhasish
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bose
authors.forename: Parasuram
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krishnamoorthy
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varanasi
authors.forename: Jayamohan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schutta
authors.forename: Seth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Braunstein
authors.forename: Nayyar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Caitlin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: St Clair
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Master
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Rader
authors.forename: Muredach P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Reilly
authors.forename: Nehal N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Mehta
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D012307:Risk Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D020738:Leptin