Associations between Obesity Indicators and Cardiovascular Disease Risk

The discriminatory capability of multiple obesity indicators for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk remains uncertain. The purpose of this study was to find the best indicator(s) of obesity among these anthropometric parameters for assessing cardiovascular risk. This study included 1497 residents (864 males and 633 females) of China. Participants were required to carry out questionnaires, general physical examinations, body composition measurements, and laboratory measurements. The Framingham CVD risk assessment tool was used to evaluate individual CVD risk. High CVD risk was defined as a 10-year incidence probability ≥10%. The subjects were divided into normal or obese group according to the threshold of indices for determining. Logistic regression was used to compare the performance of the indicators for the assessment of CVD risk. The results showed waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) was most associated to CVD risk.The odds ratios (ORs) of the high WHtR group in men and women were 5.36 and 3.84, respectively. The combination of obesity index was superior to single index in assessing high CVD risk. The ORs of males and females with high WHtR and BMI were 6.12 and 6.68, respectively. WHtR had the best correlation with CVD risk; and its combination with BMI was the best to assess CVD risk.