Optimal cut-off values for obesity: Using simple anthropometric indices to predict cardiovascular risk factors in Taiwan
Journal
International Journal of Obesity
Journal Volume
26
Journal Issue
9
Pages
1232-1238
Date Issued
2002
Author(s)
Lin W.-Y.
Lee L.-T.
Hsia H.-H.
Liu I.-L.
LIN, RUEY-SHIUNG
Shau W.-Y.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The increased health risks associated with obesity have been found to occur in Asians at lower body mass indices (BMIs). To determine the optimal cut-off values for overweight or obesity in Taiwan, we examined the relationships between four anthropometric indices and cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: The data were collected from four health-screening centers from 1998 to 2000 in Taiwan. Included were 55 563 subjects (26 359 men and 29204 women, mean age = 37.34 ± 10.9 and 37.0 ± 11.1 y, respectively). None had known major systemic diseases or were taking medication. Individual body weight, height, waist circumference (WC), and a series of tests related to cardiovascular risk (blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) were assessed and their relationships were examined. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to find out the optimal cut-off values of various anthropometric indices to predict hypertension, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia. RESULTS: Of the four anthropometric indices we studied, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) in women was found to have the largest areas under the ROC curve (women = 0.755, 95% Cl 0.748-0.763) relative to at least one risk factor (ie hypertension or diabetes or dyslipidemia). The optimal cut-off values for overweight or obesity from our study in men and women showed that BMIs of 23.6 and 22.1 kg/m2, WCs of 80.5 and 71.5 cm, waist-to-hip ratios (WHpR) of 0.85 and 0.76, and WHtR of 0.48 and 0.45, respectively, may be more appropriate in Taiwan. CONCLUSIONS: WHtR may be a better indicator for screening overweight- or obesity-related CVD risk factors than the other three indexes (BMI, WC and WHpR) in Taiwan. Our study also supported the hypothesis that the cut-off values using BMI and WC to define obesity should be much lower in Taiwan than in Western countries.
Subjects
Anthropometric indices; Cardiovascular risk factors; Obesity; ROC curve; Taiwan
SDGs
Other Subjects
cholesterol; glucose; high density lipoprotein cholesterol; low density lipoprotein cholesterol; triacylglycerol; adult; anthropometry; article; blood pressure measurement; body mass; cardiovascular risk; cholesterol blood level; clinical trial; diabetes mellitus; dyslipidemia; female; glucose blood level; human; hypertension; male; multicenter study; obesity; priority journal; risk assessment; risk factor; roc curve; screening test; Taiwan; triacylglycerol blood level; Adult; Anthropometry; Area Under Curve; Body Constitution; Body Height; Body Mass Index; Body Weight; Cardiovascular Diseases; Diabetes Complications; Female; Humans; Hyperlipidemias; Hypertension; Male; Obesity; Odds Ratio; Predictive Value of Tests; Risk Factors; ROC Curve; Taiwan
Type
journal article