title: Entering a new era of body indices: the feasibility of a body shape index and body roundness index to identify cardiovascular health status.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist Circumference (WC) are well-used anthropometric predictors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but their validity is regularly questioned. Recently, A Body Shape Index (ABSI) and Body Roundness Index (BRI) were introduced as alternative anthropometric indices that may better reflect health status.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study assessed the capacity of ABSI and BRI in identifying cardiovascular diseases and cardiovascular disease risk factors and determined whether they are superior to BMI and WC.
  
  
  METHODS
  4627 Participants (54±12 years) of the Nijmegen Exercise Study completed an online questionnaire concerning CVD health status (defined as history of CVD or CVD risk factors) and anthropometric characteristics. Quintiles of ABSI, BRI, BMI, and WC were used regarding CVD prevalence. Odds ratios (OR), adjusted for age, sex, and smoking, were calculated per anthropometric index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1332 participants (27.7%) reported presence of CVD or CVD risk factors. The prevalence of CVD increased across quintiles for BMI, ABSI, BRI, and WC. Comparing the lowest with the highest quintile, adjusted OR (95% CI) for CVD were significantly different for BRI 3.2 (1.4-7.2), BMI 2.4 (1.9-3.1), and WC 3.0 (1.6-5.6). The adjusted OR (95% CI) for CVD risk factors was for BRI 2.5 (2.0-3.3), BMI 3.3 (1.6-6.8), and WC 2.0 (1.6-2.5). No association was observed for ABSI in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BRI, BMI, and WC are able to determine CVD presence, while ABSI is not capable. Nevertheless, the capacity of BRI as a novel body index to identify CVD was not superior compared to established anthropometric indices like BMI and WC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department for Health Evidence, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Martijn F H
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Maessen
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Cardiology, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, Connecticut, United States of America.
authors.forename: Thijs M H
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Eijsvogels
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rebecca J H M
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Verheggen
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Maria T E
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Hopman
authors.affiliation: Department for Health Evidence, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: André L M
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Verbeek
authors.affiliation: Department for Health Evidence, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Femmie
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Vegt
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D002319:Cardiovascular System; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055105:Waist Circumference