Key result
Higher waist-to-height ratio linked to ~136% greater incident CVD risk.
Why the study?
Controversy exists regarding the optimal approach to measure adiposity, and the utility of BMI has been questioned.
Do higher levels of adiposity, measured by BMI, WC, WHR, or WHtR, increase the risk of incident cardiovascular disease in men and women?
Cohort (n=49,032)
Do higher levels of adiposity, measured by BMI, WC, WHR, or WHtR, increase the risk of incident cardiovascular disease in men and women?
Relative Risk: 2.36 (95% CI 1.61–3.47)
While waist-to-height ratio demonstrated the strongest statistical association with incident cardiovascular disease, differences compared to BMI were small, emphasizing that higher adiposity confers increased risk regardless of the measurement used.
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Waist-to-height ratio was associated with higher CVD risk in both sexes; extends large cohorts but leaves causal inference and practice change open.
Gelber et al. (2008) conducted a cohort in Incident cardiovascular disease (n=49,032). Higher waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) vs. Reference WHtR (0.49-<0.53 in men, 0.47-<0.52 in women) was evaluated on Incident cardiovascular disease (including nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal ischemic stroke, cardiovascular death) (RR 2.36, 95% CI 1.61-3.47). Higher waist-to-height ratio was associated with increased risk of incident cardiovascular disease in men (RR 2.36; 95% CI 1.61-3.47) and women (RR 2.33; 95% CI 1.66-3.28).
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