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Waist circumference vs body mass index for prediction of disease risk in postmenopausal women

International Journal of Obesity volume 25, pages 1183–1188 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To test the sensitivity of waist circumference (central adiposity) as an index of disease risk in postmenopausal women.

DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of postmenopausal women tested at Washington University School of Medicine.

SUSBJECTS: A total of 323 healthy postmenopausal (66±5 y; mean±s.d.) women not using any hormone replacement.

MEASUREMENTS: Body composition, hyperinsulinemia (insulin area), triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol.

RESULTS: Excess waist size had a stronger association with hyperinsulinemia and hypertriglyceridemia than body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) in otherwise healthy, postmenopausal women. After adjusting for BMI, a strong relation existed between waist circumference and insulin area, HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides (P<0.01). Conversely, after adjusting for waist circumference, no relation was apparent between BMI and the dependent variables of interest. The strength of the association between waist circumference and disease risk became most apparent when analyses were restricted to normal-weight women (BMI 24–28 kg/m2). When BMI was held constant, hyperinsulinemia and triglyceridemia increased dose-dependently with changes in waist size.

CONCLUSION: Waist circumference, an easily obtained index of central adiposity, is a more sensitive measure of relative disease risk than is BMI in middle-aged and older women, particularly in normal-weight individuals.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the following awards from the National Institutes of Health: Claude Pepper Older Americans Independence Center, AG13629; Research Career Development, AG00663 (Kohrt); General Clinical Research Center, RR00036; and Diabetes Research and Training Center, DK20579.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA

    RE Van Pelt, EM Evans, KB Schechtman, AA Ehsani & WM Kohrt

  2. Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado, USA

    RE Van Pelt & WM Kohrt

  3. Divisions of Geriatrics/Gerontology and Biostatistics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA

    KB Schechtman

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  1. RE Van Pelt
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  2. EM Evans
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Correspondence to WM Kohrt.

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Van Pelt, R., Evans, E., Schechtman, K. et al. Waist circumference vs body mass index for prediction of disease risk in postmenopausal women. Int J Obes 25, 1183–1188 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801640

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