Accuracy of anthropometric parameters in identification of high-risk patients predicted with cardiovascular risk...

Overweight and obesity are associated with unfavorable outcomes on the cardiovascular system. Early detection of the patients' high risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a primary care priority. Simple-to-use screening tools derived from anthropometric parameters and obesity-related indices could serve this purpose.

A total of 2,716 women and 1,132 men aged 18 years and older, free of known CVD at baseline were enrolled in this study. Ten-year risk of incident CVD based on 3 computational models, namely Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE), United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study and Framingham was calculated and served as the main outcome event. Weight, height, body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference, blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, serum triglyceride, glycated hemoglobin A1c and fasting plasma glucose concentrations were also determined.

Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) had the largest area under the curve (AUC) in identification of all outcome variables (high-risk United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study, SCORE, Framingham; AUC: 0.64-0.69) in women and in 2 of 3 (SCORE, Framingham; AUC: 0.62-0.64) in men; making it the best parameter followed by waist-to-height ratio and waist circumference. Body mass index and hip circumference consistently produced smaller AUC. WHR optimal cutoff points in prediction of outcome variables were in the range of 0.87 to 0.90 in women and 0.90 to 0.94 in men.

WHR is superior to other anthropometric parameters in identification of high-risk patients based on different CVD risk prediction models and can be used for screening purposes.