Waist-to-Height Ratio - Reference Values and Associations with Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Russian Adult...

Area of Science:

• Anthropometry
• Public Health
• Cardiovascular Risk Assessment

Background:

• Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is an anthropometric index for assessing abdominal obesity.
• Limited data exists on population distribution and associated factors of WHtR.
• Understanding WHtR is crucial for public health initiatives and cardiovascular risk stratification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish WHtR reference values for Russian adults.
• To investigate associations between WHtR and socio-demographic, lifestyle, and clinical characteristics.
• To evaluate WHtR as a cardiovascular risk indicator in the Russian population.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study using data from the Know Your Heart study (N=4495).
• Quantile regressions modeled age-adjusted WHtR percentiles (P5-P95).
• Linear regressions assessed WHtR associations with cardiovascular biomarkers and risk factors.

Main Results:

• The P25 WHtR value was 0.5, with P50 at 0.54 and P75 at 0.60.
• Three-quarters of the population exceeded the 0.5 WHtR threshold for abdominal obesity.
• WHtR showed significant associations with age, education, physical activity, C-reactive protein, and HDL cholesterol, with sex-specific differences.

Conclusions:

• A majority of Russian adults exhibit WHtR values indicative of abdominal obesity.
• Significant sex-based differences exist in WHtR associations with risk factors and biomarkers.
• WHtR serves as a valuable indicator of cardiovascular risk in Russian adults.