Waist-height ratio: How well does it predict glucose intolerance and systemic hypertension?

Area of Science:

• Metabolic Health
• Cardiovascular Health
• Obesity Research

Background:

• Obesity indices are crucial for assessing metabolic and cardiovascular disease risk.
• Traditional indices like BMI, WC, and WHR have limitations in predicting these conditions.
• The waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is an emerging anthropometric measure for central obesity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the predictive efficacy of WHtR for glucose intolerance and systemic hypertension.
• To compare the predictive performance of WHtR against other common obesity indices (BMI, WC, WHR).

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with 396 participants in Northern Nigeria.
• Data collected included bio-data, blood pressure, anthropometric measurements, and plasma glucose levels (FPG and 2-hour PPG).
• Logistic regression analysis was employed to compare the predictive power of different obesity indices.

Main Results:

• WHtR was the strongest predictor of glucose intolerance (OR 20.74) and systemic hypertension (OR 2.32).
• Compared to WHtR, other indices showed lower predictive power: BMI, WC, and WHR for glucose intolerance; BMI, WC, and WHR for systemic hypertension.
• All tested obesity indices, including BMI, WC, and WHR, were significant predictors, but WHtR demonstrated the highest odds ratios.

Conclusions:

• WHtR exhibits superior predictive capability for both glucose intolerance and systemic hypertension in the studied population.
• The findings suggest WHtR is a valuable tool for early risk assessment of these conditions.
• Clinical practice may benefit from incorporating WHtR as a primary screening indicator for metabolic and hypertensive disorders.