Waist Circumference and Cardiometabolic Risk

Obesity is an important risk factor for cardiometabolic diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and coronary heart disease (CHD). Several leading national and international institutions, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institutes of Health, have provided guidelines for classifying weight status based on BMI (1,2). Data from epidemiological studies demonstrate a direct correlation between BMI and the risk of medical complications and mortality rate (e.g., 3,4). Men and women who have a BMI ≥30 kg/m2 are considered obese and are generally at higher risk for adverse health events than are those who are considered overweight (BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 kg/m2) or lean (BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m2). Therefore, BMI has become the “gold standard” for identifying patients at increased risk for adiposity-related adverse health outcomes. Body fat distribution is also an important risk factor for obesity-related diseases. Excess abdominal fat (also known as central or upper-body fat) is associated with an increased risk of cardiometabolic disease. However, precise measurement of abdominal fat content requires the use of expensive radiological imaging techniques. Therefore, waist circumference (WC) is often used as a surrogate marker of abdominal fat mass, because WC correlates with abdominal fat mass (subcutaneous and intra-abdominal) (5) and is associated with cardiometabolic disease risk (6). Men and women who have waist circumferences greater than 40 inches (102 cm) and 35 inches (88 cm), respectively, are considered to be at increased risk for cardiometabolic disease (7). These cut points were derived from a regression curve that identified the waist circumference values associated with a BMI ≥30 kg/m2 in primarily Caucasian men and women living in north Glasgow (8). An expert panel, organized by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, has recommended that WC be measured as part …