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Does change in hip circumference predict cardiovascular disease and overall mortality in Danish and Swedish women?

Anne Lanfer1, Kirsten Mehlig, Berit L Heitmann

  • 1Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Gothenburg, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|August 22, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Small hip circumference (HC) is linked to higher mortality risk in women, independent of body mass index (BMI). Changes in hip size over time did not affect these health risks.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular epidemiology
  • Obesity research
  • Public health

Background:

  • Small hip circumference (HC) is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease, diabetes, and premature death in women.
  • Previous studies suggest an inverse association between HC and adverse health outcomes, but its presence in normal- and overweight individuals and the impact of changes in HC over time require further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between hip circumference (HC) and the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality in women.
  • To determine if this association differs between normal-weight and overweight women.
  • To examine whether changes in HC over a six-year period influence morbidity and mortality risk.

Main Methods:

  • A pooled analysis of 2,867 women from the DANISH MONICA study and the Prospective Population Study of Women in Gothenburg was conducted.
  • Hip circumference (HC) and its 6-year change were assessed in relation to all-cause mortality and CVD-specific morbidity and mortality.
  • Data were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models, with adjustments for body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and other relevant covariates.

Main Results:

  • A significant inverse association was observed between baseline hip circumference (HC) and both all-cause and CVD-specific mortality, even after adjusting for BMI, waist circumference (WC), and other factors.
  • This inverse association between small HC and mortality risk was less pronounced in women with a body mass index (BMI) exceeding 25 kg/m2.
  • Changes in hip size over the six-year follow-up period were not found to be significantly associated with mortality or morbidity endpoints.

Conclusions:

  • The findings suggest a baseline risk associated with small hip circumference (HC) that is independent of changes in gluteofemoral body mass.
  • This implies that the risk conferred by small HC may not be modifiable through changes in body composition in this region.
  • The study highlights the importance of considering hip circumference as a distinct risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality in women.
Abstract

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