Waist Circumference Cut-points Research Articles

Detection of high risk people for diabetes by American diabetes association risk score in PERSIAN Guilan cohort study

BackgroundDiabetes mellitus (DM) is known as one of the most prevalent non communicable diseases with high cost of health services in the world. Present study was conducted to assess the frequency of high risk people for diabetes mellitus based on American Diabetes Association (ADA) risk score among Iranian people.MethodsPresent study was a cross sectional study on non-diabetic subjects aged 35–70 years from 10,520 PERSIAN Guilan Cohort Study (PGCS). ADA risk score was calculated for every individual through an online calculator. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was used to assess diagnostic accuracy of the anthropometric indices to identify individuals with high risk ADA score for developing DM, represented by the area under the curve (AUC).ResultsFrom 7989 study subjects, ADA risk score found 3874 (48.5%) and 1912 (23%) at risk for developing PreDM and DM, respectively. The results of ROC curve analyses showed the highest diagnostic value was related to waist circumference (WC) in total population and Waist to Height Ratio in both sex (0.695 total, 0.743 female, 0.744 male). The cut-points of WC in total population to identifying high risk group were 97 cm.ConclusionsA considerable number of populations were classified as high ADA risk for developing DM and PreDM that provide the importance of prevention strategies. Present study showed WC and Waist to Height Ratio have the highest diagnostic value to identify high risk people for DM.

The Effect of Obesity on the Waist Circumference Cut-Point Used for the Diagnosis of the Metabolic Syndrome in African Women: Results from the SWEET Study.

Waist circumference (WC) is one of the diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, studies have shown that the waist cut-point may be influenced by BMI. The aim of this study was to, therefore, determine whether the presence of obesity influences the WC cut-point used to diagnose MetS in sub-Saharan African women. The second aim was to determine whether calculated cut-points of other waist-related and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-determined anthropometric measures used for the diagnosis of MetS were also influenced by BMI. Biochemical, simple anthropometric and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry-derived anthropometric data were collected in 702 black South African women from the Study of Women Entering and in Endocrine Transition (SWEET). A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine waist, waist-to-hip (WHR) and waist-to-height ratios, body shape index (ABSI), total body fat, trunk fat, and peripheral (arm + leg) fat cut-points for MetS (without waist) in subjects with BMI above or below the median value. The estimated WC cut-points (107 cm, 93.5 cm) for women with high BMI and low BMI, respectively, and the cut-points for the other anthropometric variables for the diagnosis of MetS were greater in high BMI women compared to low BMI women. The exceptions were WHR and ABSI, for which the cut-points were very similar in both BMI groups, and peripheral fat, where the cut-point was lower in the high BMI group. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that WC was associated with a higher risk (odds ratio [95% CIs]: 1.07 [1.04, 1.10]; p < 0.0001), whilst hip was associated with a lower risk (0.97 [0.94, 0.99]; p = 0.02) for MetS. These data suggest that with increasing BMI, the higher levels of protective gluteofemoral fat lead to the requirement for higher WC cut-points for MetS diagnosis. The opposing associations of waist and hip with MetS risk make WHR a more appropriate variable for diagnosing MetS among African women as the WHR cut-point is less influenced by increasing BMI than is WC, which was also observed for ABSI.

Identifying metabolic syndrome in migrant Asian Indian adults with anthropometric and visceral fat action points

BackgroundMetabolic syndrome (MetS) is a clustering of metabolic risk factors, including large waist circumference (WC). Other anthropometric parameters and visceral fat mass (VFM) predicted from these may improve MetS detection. Our aim was to assess the ability of such parameters to predict this clustering in a cross-sectional, diagnostic study.MethodParticipants were 82 males and 86 females, aged 20–74 years, of Asian Indian ethnicity. VFM was estimated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) through identification of abdominal subcutaneous fat layer boundaries. Non-anthropometric metabolic risk factors (triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose) were defined using MetS criteria. We estimated the ability of anthropometry and VFM to detect ≥ 2 of these factors by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and precision-recall curves.ResultsTwo or more non-anthropometric metabolic risk factors were present in 45 (55%) males and 29 (34%) females. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) to predict ≥ 2 of these factors using WC was 0.67 (95% confidence interval: 0.55–0.79) in males and 0.65 (0.53–0.77) in females. Optimal WC cut-points were 92 cm for males (63% accuracy) and 79 cm for females (53% accuracy). VFM, DXA-measured sagittal diameter and suprailiac skinfold thickness yielded higher AUC point estimates (by up to 0.06), especially in females where these measures improved accuracy to 69%, 69% and 65%, respectively. Pairwise combinations that included WC further improved accuracy.ConclusionOur findings indicate that cut-points for readily obtained measures other than WC, or in combination with WC, may provide improved detection of MetS risk factor clusters.

Metabolic syndrome, associated factors and optimal waist circumference cut points: findings from a cross-sectional community-based study in the elderly population in Asmara, Eritrea

ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetSyn), associated factors, and optimal waist circumference (WC) cut points in a subset of the elderly population...

Long-term air pollution exposure and metabolic syndrome prevalence: A longitudinal cohort study from the electricity generating authority of Thailand study

BACKGROUND AND AIM: It has been reported that long-term exposure to air pollution is linked to metabolic syndrome (MetS), which is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. However, no study has investigated the epidemiological association between long-term air pollution exposure and MetS in Southeast Asia. We examined the association between long-term exposure to air pollution and prevalence of MetS in workers of Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) in Bangkok metropolitan region, Thailand. METHODS: The diagnosis of MetS was made based on the criteria defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) that modified waist circumference cut-points for Asians. This study was based on 1,839 subjects of EGAT1 cohort study (2002-2012; mean age 58.3 years at the baseline). Blood tests were measured in 2002, 2007, and 2012. One-year average air pollution concentrations of particulate matter ≤10 μm in diameter (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and carbon monoxide (CO) prior to the laboratory test was estimated using ordinary kriging method. We applied the logistic mixed effects models to calculate odds ratios (ORs) of the MetS prevalence per an interquartile range increase in air pollution. RESULTS:After controlling for potential confounders, higher prevalence of MetS was significantly associated with increased PM10 (ORs = 1.31, 95%CI: 1.1, 1.56) and CO (ORs = 1.2, 95%CI: 1.04, 1.38). Although not statistically significant, we also found the positive association between SO2 and prevalent MetS (ORs = 1.26, 95%CI: 0.97, 1.64). In contrast, O3 was inversely associated with prevalence of MetS (ORs = 0.59, 95%CI: 0.46, 0.76). CONCLUSIONS:Long-term exposure to air pollutants, especially for PM10 and CO were positively associated with prevalence of MetS in subjects of EGAT cohort study. KEYWORDS: Air pollution, long-term exposure, particulate matter, ozone, cardiovascular diseases

Anthropometric cut-points for discriminating diabetes and the metabolic syndrome among Arabs and Asians: the Kuwait Diabetes Epidemiology Program.

This study aimed to determine anthropometric cut-points for screening diabetes and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Arab and South Asian ethnic groups in Kuwait and to compare the prevalence of the MetS based on the ethnic-specific waist circumference (WC) cut-point and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute WC criteria. The national population-based survey data set of diabetes and obesity in Kuwait adults aged 18-60 years was analysed. Age-adjusted logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted to evaluate for 3589 individuals the utility of WC, waist:height ratio (WHtR) and BMI to discriminate both diabetes and ≥3 CVD risk factors. Areas under the ROC curve were similar for WC, WHtR and BMI. In Arab men, WC, WHtR and BMI cut-offs for diabetes were 106 cm, 0·55 and 28 kg/m2 and for ≥3 CVD risk factors, 97 cm, 0·55 and 28 kg/m2, respectively. In Arab women, cut-offs for diabetes were 107 cm, 0·65 and 33 kg/m2 and for ≥3 CVD risk factors, 93 cm, 0·60 and 30 kg/m2, respectively. WC cut-offs were higher for South Asian women than men. IDF-based WC cut-offs corresponded to a higher prevalence of the MetS across sex and ethnic groups, compared with Kuwait-specific cut-offs. Any of the assessed anthropometric indices can be used in screening of diabetes and ≥3 CVD risk factors in Kuwaiti Arab and Asian populations. ROC values were similar. The WC threshold for screening the MetS in Kuwaiti Arabs and South Asians is higher for women.

Predictive capacity of anthropometric indicators of body fat in identifying hypertension in adolescents.

Background:Hypertension (HTN) is a major health problem affecting different populations including adolescents worldwide, and it is strongly associated with obesity.Objectives:This study examined the predictive capacity of anthropometric proxies of body fat and determined the threshold values that would identify HTN among Nigerian adolescents.Setting and Design:A cross-sectional study with a total of 2228 in-school adolescents aged 12–16 years.Materials and Methods:Participants were evaluated for physical characteristics including five anthropometric indices of body fat and blood pressure. Receiver operating characteristics curves were used for the analysis of sensitivity, specificity, area under curve (AUC) of the fat indices in detecting HTN.Results:All body fat indicators with the exception of waist-to-height ratio in boys, had significant (P < 0.0005) AUC with total fat mass (TFM) in girls and waist circumference (WC) in boys as the best fat indicators for predicting systolic HTN in adolescents. The TFM cut-point for girls was 8.0 kg and the WC cut-point for boys was 66.3 cm. Both TFM and WC demonstrated a stronger association with systolic HTN than other fat indicators in both genders. The likelihood of a girl developing HTN is 1.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] =1.05–1.20) times with a unit increase in TFM, while boys with unhealthy WC had 3.2 (95% CI = 1.83–5.67) times odd of developing HTN compared to their healthy peers.Conclusions:This study showed that TFM and WC are useful tools for detecting HTN in Nigerian adolescent girls and boys, respectively. The fat indicators used in this study generally showed low predictive capacity.

Defining Abdominal Obesity as a Risk Factor for Coronary Heart Disease in the U.S.: Results From the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).

Various organizations have highlighted the need to examine whether abdominal obesity cut points are appropriate for identification of cardiovascular risk among ethnic minority adults, particularly Hispanic/Latino adults living in Western societies. This study aimed 1) to establish optimal definitions for abdominal obesity among Hispanics/Latinos and 2) to determine the level of agreement between the presence of metabolic syndrome diagnosed by the current Joint Interim Statement (JIS) definition and an updated definition with optimal abdominal obesity cut points. The sample included 16,289 adults who self-identified as Hispanic/Latino ages 18-74 years enrolled in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to derive sensitivity and specificity values. The largest sum of sensitivity plus specificity was used to determine appropriate cut points. Among U.S. Hispanic/Latino adults, waist circumference cut points of >102 cm in men (in line with current JIS criteria) and >97 cm (9 points higher than JIS criteria) in women provide optimal discrimination for cardiovascular risk as judged by the presence of coronary heart disease. When using these cut points to create an updated metabolic syndrome definition among women, we found disagreement between our updated definition and the current JIS criteria. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was overestimated by ∼5 percentage points among women based on JIS criteria in comparison with our definition. Our results suggest that the current recommendations for waist circumference cut points may not be appropriate for U.S. Hispanic/Latino women.

Has the prevalence of overweight, obesity and central obesity levelled off in the United States? Trends, patterns, disparities, and future projections for the obesity epidemic

Obesity (OB) is a serious epidemic in the United States. We examined OB patterns and time trends across socio-economic and geographic parameters and projected the future situation. Large national databases were used. Overweight (OW), OB and severe obesity (SOB) were defined using body mass index cut-points/percentiles; central obesity (CO), waist circumference cut-point in adults and waist:height ratio cutoff in youth. Various meta-regression analysis models were fit for projection analyses. OB prevalence had consistently risen since 1999 and considerable differences existed across groups and regions. Among adults, men's OB (33.7%) and OW (71.6%) levelled off in 2009-2012, resuming the increase to 38.0 and 74.7% in 2015-2016, respectively. Women showed an uninterrupted increase in OB/OW prevalence since 1999, reaching 41.5% (OB) and 68.9% (OW) in 2015-2016. SOB levelled off in 2013-2016 (men: 5.5-5.6%; women: 9.7-9.5%), after annual increases of 0.2% between 1999 and 2012. Non-Hispanic Blacks had the highest prevalence in women's OB/SOB and men's SOB. OB prevalence in boys rose continuously to 20.6% and SOB to 7.5% in 2015-2016, but not in girls. By 2030, most Americans will be OB/OW and nearly 50% of adults OB, whereas ∼33% of children aged 6-11 and ∼50% of adolescents aged 12-19 will be OB/OW. Since 1999, CO has risen steadily, and by 2030 is projected to reach 55.6% in men, 80.0% in women, 47.6% among girls and 38.9% among boys. Regional differences exist in adult OB prevalence (2011-2016) and across ethnicities; South (32.0%) and Midwest (31.4%) had the highest rates. US obesity prevalence has been rising, despite a temporary pause in 2009-2012. Wide disparities across groups and geographical regions persist. Effective, sustainable, culturally-tailored interventions are needed.

The discriminatory power of visceral adipose tissue area vs anthropometric measures as a diagnostic marker for metabolic syndrome in South African women

BackgroundA number of studies have shown central adiposity, in particular visceral adipose tissue (VAT) accumulation to be a hallmark of metabolic syndrome (MetS). In clinical practice, waist circumference (WC) is used as a proxy for VAT.AimTo compare the ability of dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-derived VAT area and anthropometric measures of adiposity for diagnosing MetS in a sample of high risk South African women.MethodsMetS was quantified using the Joint Interim Statement (JIS) criteria. Fasting glucose, insulin and lipid profile were measured in 204 post-menopausal women. Anthropometry measures included body mass index (BMI), WC, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and a body shape index (ABSI). The area under the curve (AUC) was used to assess their performance in detecting any two components of MetS (excluding WC). Optimal WC and VAT area cut-points were derived to compare their performance for diagnosing MetS and to compare to internationally recognised cut-points.ResultsThe highest AUC for the prediction of MetS was recorded for VAT, followed by WHtR and WC (AUC, 0.767, 0.747 and 0.738 respectively), but these did not differ significantly (all p ≥ 0.192). In contrast, VAT was significantly better than BMI (p = 0.028), hip (p = 0.0004) and ABSI (p < 0.0001). The optimal WC (94.4 cm) and VAT area (174 cm2 based on the Youden’s index method and 175.50 cm2 based on the CTL approach) cut-points performed similarly in detecting MetS.ConclusionDXA-derived VAT and WC had the same overall performance in discriminating the presence of any 2 MetS components in high risk South African women. These findings support the current recommendations of using WC rather than VAT for MetS risk screening, as it is cheap, accessible and easy to measure.

The human microbiota is associated with cardiometabolic risk across the epidemiologic transition.

Oral and fecal microbial biomarkers have previously been associated with cardiometabolic (CM) risk, however, no comprehensive attempt has been made to explore this association in minority populations or across different geographic regions. We characterized gut- and oral-associated microbiota and CM risk in 655 participants of African-origin, aged 25–45, from Ghana, South Africa, Jamaica, and the United States (US). CM risk was classified using the CM risk cut-points for elevated waist circumference, elevated blood pressure and elevated fasted blood glucose, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and elevated triglycerides. Gut-associated bacterial alpha diversity negatively correlated with elevated blood pressure and elevated fasted blood glucose. Similarly, gut bacterial beta diversity was also significantly differentiated by waist circumference, blood pressure, triglyceridemia and HDL-cholesterolemia. Notably, differences in inter- and intra-personal gut microbial diversity were geographic-region specific. Participants meeting the cut-points for 3 out of the 5 CM risk factors were significantly more enriched with Lachnospiraceae, and were significantly depleted of Clostridiaceae, Peptostreptococcaceae, and Prevotella. The predicted relative proportions of the genes involved in the pathways for lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and butyrate synthesis were also significantly differentiated by the CM risk phenotype, whereby genes involved in the butyrate synthesis via lysine, glutarate and 4-aminobutyrate/succinate pathways and LPS synthesis pathway were enriched in participants with greater CM risk. Furthermore, inter-individual oral microbiota diversity was also significantly associated with the CM risk factors, and oral-associated Streptococcus, Prevotella, and Veillonella were enriched in participants with 3 out of the 5 CM risk factors. We demonstrate that in a diverse cohort of African-origin adults, CM risk is significantly associated with reduced microbial diversity, and the enrichment of specific bacterial taxa and predicted functional traits in both gut and oral environments. As well as providing new insights into the associations between the gut and oral microbiota and CM risk, this study also highlights the potential for novel therapeutic discoveries which target the oral and gut microbiota in CM risk.

The Relationship between Generalized and Abdominal Obesity with Diabetic Kidney Disease in Type 2 Diabetes: A Multiethnic Asian Study and Meta-Analysis.

This study examined the associations of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-height ratio (WHtR) with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in a clinical sample of Asian patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM); substantiated with a meta-analysis of the above associations. We recruited 405 patients with T2DM (mean (standard deviation (SD)) age: 58 (7.5) years; 277 (68.4%) male; 203 (50.1%) with DKD) from a tertiary care centre in Singapore. DKD was defined as urinary albumin-creatinine ratio >3.3 mg/mmoL and/or estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. All exposures were analysed continuously and categorically (World Health Organization cut-points for BMI and WC; median for WHR and WHtR) with DKD using stepwise logistic regression models adjusted for traditional risk factors. Additionally, we synthesized the pooled odds ratio of 18 studies (N = 19,755) in a meta-analysis of the above relationships in T2DM. We found that overweight and obese persons (categorized using BMI) were more likely to have DKD compared to under/normal weight individuals, while no associations were found for abdominal obesity exposures. In meta-analyses however, all obesity parameters were associated with increased odds of DKD. The discordance in our abdominal obesity findings compared to the pooled analyses warrants further validation via longitudinal cohorts.

Optimal cut-points of different anthropometric indices and their joint effect in prediction of type 2 diabetes: results of a cohort study

BackgroundTo determine the anthropometric indices that would predict type 2 diabetes (T2D) and delineate their optimal cut-points.MethodsIn a cohort study, 7017 Iranian adults, aged 20–60 years, free of T2D at baseline were investigated. Using Cox proportional hazard models, hazard ratios (HRs) for incident T2D per 1 SD change in body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist to height ratio (WHtR), waist to hip ratio (WHR), and hip circumference (HC) were calculated. The area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves (AUC) was calculated to compare the discriminative power of anthropometric variables for incident T2D. Cut-points of each index were estimated by the maximum value of Youden’s index and fixing the sensitivity at 75%. Using the derived cut-points, joint effects of BMI and other obesity indices on T2D hazard were assessed.ResultsDuring a median follow-up of 12 years, 354 men, and 490 women developed T2D. In both sexes, 1 SD increase in anthropometric variables showed significant association with incident T2D, except for HC in multivariate adjusted model in men. In both sexes, WHtR had the highest discriminatory power while HC had the lowest. The derived cut-points for BMI, WC, WHtR, WHR, and HC were 25.56 kg/m2, 89 cm, 0.52, 0.91, and 96 cm in men and 27.12 kg/m2, 87 cm, 0.56, 0.83, and 103 cm in women, respectively. Assessing joint effects of BMI and each of the obesity measures in the prediction of incident T2D showed that among both sexes, combined high values of obesity indices increase the specificity for the price of reduced sensitivity and positive predictive value.ConclusionsOur derived cut-points differ between both sexes and are different from other ethnicities.

Associations between anthropometric indices, blood pressure and physical fitness performance in young Swiss men: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesTo assess the benefit of waist circumference (WC) measurements during routine conscription medical examination in two military conscription centres in Switzerland. We compared the prevalence of overweight and obesity assessed...

Deriving an optimal threshold of waist circumference for detecting cardiometabolic risk in sub-Saharan Africa

Background:Waist circumference (WC) thresholds derived from western populations continue to be used in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) despite increasing evidence of ethnic variation in the association between adiposity and cardiometabolic disease and availability of data from African populations. We aimed to derive a SSA-specific optimal WC cut-point for identifying individuals at increased cardiometabolic risk.Methods:We used individual level cross-sectional data on 24 181 participants aged ⩾15 years from 17 studies conducted between 1990 and 2014 in eight countries in SSA. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to derive optimal WC cut-points for detecting the presence of at least two components of metabolic syndrome (MS), excluding WC.Results:The optimal WC cut-point was 81.2 cm (95% CI 78.5–83.8 cm) and 81.0 cm (95% CI 79.2–82.8 cm) for men and women, respectively, with comparable accuracy in men and women. Sensitivity was higher in women (64%, 95% CI 63–65) than in men (53%, 95% CI 51–55), and increased with the prevalence of obesity. Having WC above the derived cut-point was associated with a twofold probability of having at least two components of MS (age-adjusted odds ratio 2.6, 95% CI 2.4–2.9, for men and 2.2, 95% CI 2.0–2.3, for women).Conclusion:The optimal WC cut-point for identifying men at increased cardiometabolic risk is lower (⩾81.2 cm) than current guidelines (⩾94.0 cm) recommend, and similar to that in women in SSA. Prospective studies are needed to confirm these cut-points based on cardiometabolic outcomes.

Association of glucose homeostasis measures with heart rate variability among Hispanic/Latino adults without diabetes: the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).

BackgroundReduced heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of cardiac autonomic function, is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. Glucose homeostasis measures are associated with reduced cardiac autonomic function among those with diabetes, but inconsistent associations have been reported among those without diabetes. This study aimed to examine the association of glucose homeostasis measures with cardiac autonomic function among diverse Hispanic/Latino adults without diabetes.MethodsThe Hispanic community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL; 2008–2011) used two-stage area probability sampling of households to enroll 16,415 self-identified Hispanics/Latinos aged 18–74 years from four USA communities. Resting, standard 12-lead electrocardiogram recordings were used to estimate the following ultrashort-term measures of HRV: RR interval (RR), standard deviation of all normal to normal RR (SDNN) and root mean square of successive differences in RR intervals (RMSSD). Multivariable regression analysis was used to estimate associations between glucose homeostasis measures with HRV using data from 11,994 adults without diabetes (mean age 39 years; 52 % women).ResultsHigher fasting glucose was associated with lower RR, SDNN, and RMSSD. Fasting insulin and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance was negatively associated with RR, SDNN, and RMSSD, and the association was stronger among men compared with women. RMSSD was, on average, 26 % lower in men with higher fasting insulin and 29 % lower in men with lower insulin resistance; for women, the corresponding estimates were smaller at 4 and 9 %, respectively. Higher glycated hemoglobin was associated with lower RR, SDNN, and RMSSD in those with abdominal adiposity, defined by sex-specific cut-points for waist circumference, after adjusting for demographics and medication use. There were no associations between glycated hemoglobin and HRV measures among those without abdominal adiposity.ConclusionsImpairment in glucose homeostasis was associated with lower HRV in Hispanic/Latino adults without diabetes, most prominently in men and individuals with abdominal adiposity. These results suggest that reduced cardiac autonomic function is associated with metabolic impairments before onset of overt diabetes in certain subgroups, offering clues for the pathophysiologic processes involved as well as opportunity for identification of those at high risk before autonomic control is manifestly impaired.

Prevalence of Obesity and Its Influence on Achievement of Cardiometabolic Therapeutic Goals in Chinese Type 2 Diabetes Patients: An Analysis of the Nationwide, Cross-Sectional 3B Study

BackgroundThere are few data on the prevalence of obesity and its influence on achieving blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood lipid (3B) goals in Chinese type 2 diabetes outpatients.MethodsPatient demographic data, anthropometric measurements, medications, and blood glucose and lipid profiles of 24,512 type 2 diabetes patients from a large, geographically diverse study (CCMR-3B) were analyzed. Using cut-points for body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) recommended by the Working Group on Obesity in China, overweight and obesity were defined as BMIs of 24–27.9kg/m2 and ≥28.0kg/m2. Central obesity was defined as a waist circumference ≥80cm in women and ≥85cm in men. The 3B therapeutic goals were HbA1c<7.0%, BP<140/90mmHg and LDL-C<2.6mmol/L.ResultsOverall, 43.0% of type 2 diabetes patients were overweight and 16.7% were obese; 13.3% of overweight and and10.1% of obese patients achieved all the 3B target goals. Overweight or obese patients were less likely to achieve 3B goals than those with normal BMIs. More than a half the overweight or obese patients (69.6%) were centrally obese. Patients with abdominal obesity were less likely to achieve cardiometabolic targets than those without abdominal obesity. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, female, higher BMI and waist circumference, smoking, drinking, sedentary lifestyle, and longer diabetes duration were significantly correlated with failure to achieve 3B control goals.ConclusionsObesity is highly prevalent and associated with poor 3B control in Chinese type 2 diabetes patients. In clinical practice, more attention and resources should focus on weight loss for such patients.

Exploratory Study Examining Clinical Measures of Adiposity Risk for Predicting Obesity in Adolescents with Physical Disabilities.

The purposes of this study were to assess the accuracy of clinical measures for predicting adiposity when compared with a criterion standard of body fat percentage measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and to determine the most appropriate cut points for classifying obesity for each measure in adolescents with physical disability. Body mass index, triceps skinfolds, and waist, arm, and leg circumferences were collected on 29 adolescents aged 14-17 yrs with spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, or spina bifida. Percentage of body fat was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess the ability of measures to predict percentage of body fat. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to identify optimal cut points for each measure. Although all clinical measures correlated with body fat as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, current cut points are not adequate in this group. Using a body mass index of 20 kg/m (boys) and 19 kg/m (girls) was optimal but still misclassified a significant number of participants as nonobese in this group. Using the optimal cut points for waist circumference, which were 83 cm (boys) and 78 cm (girls), was the best predictor. Body mass index, triceps skinfolds, and waist, leg, and arm circumferences are valid measures for estimating obesity in adolescents with physical disability, but further research is needed to validate disability-specific cut points.

Percentile Curves for Anthropometric Measures for Canadian Children and Youth.

Body mass index (BMI) is commonly used to assess a child's weight status but it does not provide information about the distribution of body fat. Since the disease risks associated with obesity are related to the amount and distribution of body fat, measures that assess visceral or subcutaneous fat, such as waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), or skinfolds thickness may be more suitable. The objective of this study was to develop percentile curves for BMI, WC, WHtR, and sum of 5 skinfolds (SF5) in a representative sample of Canadian children and youth. The analysis used data from 4115 children and adolescents between 6 and 19 years of age that participated in the Canadian Health Measures Survey Cycles 1 (2007/2009) and 2 (2009/2011). BMI, WC, WHtR, and SF5 were measured using standardized procedures. Age- and sex-specific centiles were calculated using the LMS method and the percentiles that intersect the adult cutpoints for BMI, WC, and WHtR at age 18 years were determined. Percentile curves for all measures showed an upward shift compared to curves from the pre-obesity epidemic era. The adult cutoffs for overweight and obesity corresponded to the 72nd and 91st percentile, respectively, for both sexes. The current study has presented for the first time percentile curves for BMI, WC, WHtR, and SF5 in a representative sample of Canadian children and youth. The percentile curves presented are meant to be descriptive rather than prescriptive as associations with cardiovascular disease markers or outcomes were not assessed.

Sensitivity and Specificity Improvement in Abdominal Obesity Diagnosis Using Cluster Analysis during Waist Circumference Cut-Off Point Selection.

Introduction. The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of metabolic phenotypes during the construction of ROC curves for waist circumference (WC) cutpoint selection. Materials and Methods. A total of 1,902 subjects of both genders were selected from the Maracaibo City Metabolic Syndrome Prevalence Study database. Two-Step Cluster Analysis (TSCA) was applied to select metabolically healthy and sick men and women. ROC curves were constructed to determine WC cutoff points by gender. Results. Through TSCA, metabolic phenotype predictive variables were selected: HOMA2-IR and HOMA2-βcell for women and HOMA2-IR, HOMA2-βcell, and TAG for men. Subjects were classified as healthy normal weight, metabolically obese normal weight, healthy and metabolically disturbed overweight, and healthy and metabolically disturbed obese. Final WC cutpoints were 91.50 cm for women (93.4% sensitivity, 93.7% specificity) and 98.15 cm for men (96% sensitivity, 99.5% specificity). Conclusions. TSCA in the selection of the groups used in ROC curves construction proved to be an important tool, aiding in the detection of MOWN and MHO which cannot be identified with WC alone. The resulting WC cutpoints were <91.00 cm for women and <98.00 cm for men. Furthermore, anthropometry is insufficient to determine healthiness, and, biochemical analysis is needed to properly filter subjects during classification.