Central obesity and coronary risk factors

A cross-sectional study of 130 Bengalee Hindu men (mean age = 50.3 years; SD = 10.5 years) was undertaken to investigate the relationship of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) with total cholesterol (TC), high density (HDL-C), low density (LDL-C) and very low-density (VLDL-C) lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and triglycerides (FTG). Correlation studies revealed that WHR was significantly correlated (r = 0.245, p < 0.01) with TC. WC and WHR had significant correlations with VLDL-C, FPG and FTG. All subjects were further divided into two groups based on WHR < or = 0.95 (centrally non-obese, CNO) and WHR > 0.95 (centrally obese, CO) following the US Joint National Committee (JNC) guidelines. Students' t-test revealed that CO subjects (n = 83) had a significantly higher mean TC (p < 0.05), VLDL (p < 0.05), FPG (p < 0.01) and FTG (p < 0.05) compared with CNO individuals (n = 47). Results of analysis of variance (ANOVA) of central obesity status (CNO = no, CO = yes) and BMI (BMI tertiles used as a categorical variable) with these metabolic variables revealed that CO status had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on TC, VLDL-C, FPG and FTG. BMI tertiles did not a have significant effect on any of these metabolic variables. There was no significant BMI tertile-central obesity status interaction. It can therefore be concluded that the JNC guidelines of WHR > 0.95 to define central obesity can be used, irrespective of BMI, among this population, to identify individuals who have enhanced metabolic risk factors of coronary heart disease (CHD). Furthermore, it can be routinely used for health promotion purposes among Bengalee men.