Correlation analysis between eight anthropometric indicators and arterial stiffness in relatively healthy Chinese adults

Background: This study aimed to compare the ability of eight commonly used anthropometric indices to identify arterial stiffness (AS) in relatively healthy Chinese adults, providing evidence for early cardiovascular risk screening. Methods: A total of 1,425 participants were included in this cross-sectional investigation. Eight anthropometric indices [body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), body roundness index (BRI), body adiposity index (BAI), conicity index (CI), body shape index (ABSI), and weight-adjusted waist index (WWI)] were evaluated for their association with brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) using Pearson's and age-adjusted partial correlations. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the associations between standardized anthropometric indices and AS. Receiver operating characteristic curves and area under the curve (AUC) were used to assess discriminative ability. Results: Pearson's correlation analysis revealed that, except for BMI, the other seven anthropometric indices were significantly positively associated with baPWV, with WWI showing the strongest association, and these associations persisted after adjusting for metabolic syndrome (MetS)-related factors. Notably, WWI exhibited the strongest association with baPWV. Logistic regression analysis showed that, when the variables were not adjusted or only age or MetS components were adjusted, the odds ratios (ORs) for WWI were the largest compared with the other seven indices, at 1.808 (1.542-2.120), 1.282 (1.070-1.537), and 1.839 (1.451-2.330), respectively. Among the eight anthropometric indices, the AUC of WWI was the highest (overall, 0.677; men, 0.628; women, 0.708). Conclusion: Eight anthropometric indices were positively associated with baPWV, of which WWI had the best predictive ability, providing a basis for the subsequent development of anthropometric indicators.