Simple anthropometric indices associated with ischemic heart disease

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Anthropometry

Background:

• Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a leading cause of mortality globally.
• Traditional risk factors for IHD are well-established, but novel, accessible screening tools are needed.
• Anthropometric indices offer potential for noninvasive risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of various anthropometric indices in discriminating between IHD cases and controls.
• To identify simple, low-cost anthropometric measures for IHD risk evaluation.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study was conducted with 217 IHD cases and 261 controls.
• Several anthropometric indices, including the abdominal diameter index (ADI) and waist-to-thigh ratio (WTR), were measured and compared.
• Statistical analyses included standardized differences, odds ratios (ORs), and confidence intervals (CIs), with adjustments for covariates.

Main Results:

• The ADI demonstrated the strongest discrimination between cases and controls in both men and women.
• The WTR was nearly as effective as ADI and superior to the waist-to-hip ratio.
• Adjusted ORs for IHD were significantly elevated for higher tertiles of ADI and WTR, with minimal change after covariate adjustment.
• Increased midthigh girth and subcutaneous fat mass showed a protective association with IHD.

Conclusions:

• The ADI and WTR are simple, effective anthropometric indices for assessing IHD risk.
• These measures can serve as valuable, noninvasive tools in clinical and epidemiological IHD risk evaluations.
• Further research could integrate these indices into routine health screenings.