A combined index of waist circumference and muscle quality is associated with cardiovascular disease risk factor accumulation in Japanese obese patients: a cross-sectional study

Purpose To identify obese patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) using a combined index of obesity and sarcopenia. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we firstly conducted analysis of covariance to select each index most associated with the CVD risk score, the number of concomitant CVD risk factors, among obesity- (body mass index, percentage body fat, or waist circumference [WC]) and sarcopenia-evaluated indices (skeletal muscle mass index, handgrip strength, or muscle quality [MQ]), respectively in 188 Japanese obese patients (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m 2 , 73 men and 115 women). Next, we conducted multivariate logistic regression analysis to compare the four groups (Group A–D) classified by medians of the selected indices. Results WC and MQ were selected as the indices most associated with the CVD risk scores, respectively. The CVD risk score was significantly higher in Group B (low WC and low MQ) and Group D (high WC and low MQ) with higher prevalence of diabetes as compared with Group A (low WC and high MQ). Adjusted for sex and age, odds ratios for CVD risk scores = 2 were significantly higher in Group B, Group C (high WC and high MQ), and Group D compared with Group A. Furthermore, odds ratios for CVD risk scores = 3 were significantly higher only in Group D compared with Group A (4.29 [95% confidence interval: 1.49–12.33], p = 0.007). Conclusion Combined index of WC and MQ was useful in Japanese obese patients at high risk of CVD, regardless sex and age.