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Abdominal obesity and the spectrum of global cardiometabolic risks in US adults

International Journal of Obesity volume 33, pages 239–248 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To compare the association of obesity and abdominal obesity with cardiometabolic risk factor burden and global estimated coronary heart disease (CHD) risk among multiethnic US adults.

Design:

Cross-sectional, survey study.

Subjects:

A total of 4456 participants (representing 194.9 million adults) aged 20–79 years in the 2003–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Measurements:

Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) measures, CHD risk factors and a 10-year estimated CHD risk based on Framingham algorithms. Obesity was defined as a BMI ⩾30 kg/m2 and abdominal obesity as a WC >88 cm in women and >102 cm in men. High CHD risk status included diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD) or a 10-year Framingham risk score of >20%.

Results:

Overall, abdominal obesity was present in 42.3% of men and 62.5% of women and in 53.6% of whites, 56.9% of blacks and 50.5% of Hispanics (P<0.001 between gender and ethnicity). However, using International Diabetes Federation (IDF)-recommended WC cut points for Hispanics, the prevalence of abdominal obesity was 78.3%. Mean levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose and C-reactive protein increased, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) decreased (P<0.001) according to BMI and WC categories, although these associations were attenuated in blacks for blood pressure, LDL-C, HDL-C and triglycerides. Of those with high WC, 25–35% had ⩾3 cardiometabolic risk factors. High CHD risk among those with high WC was most common in men (27.9%) and non-Hispanic whites (23.9%). Persons with a high vs normal WC, adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity and BMI were more likely to have ⩾3 cardiometabolic risk factors (odds ratio (OR)=5.1, 95% confidence interval (CI)=3.9–6.6) and were classified as high CHD risk (OR=1.5, 95% CI=1.1–2.0).

Conclusion:

The association of abdominal obesity with risk factors varies by ethnicity and is independently associated with high CHD risk status, further validating its clinical significance.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a contract from Merck & Co. Inc. to the University of California, Irvine. Dr Wong has received research funding from Merck & Co. Inc. and Pfizer Inc. through the University of California, Irvine and has served as a consultant for Merck & Co. Inc. and Novartis, and is on the speaker's bureau for Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Dr Sachin Kamal-Bahl is an employee with Merck & Co. Inc.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cardiology, Heart Disease Prevention Program, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA

    H Ghandehari, V Le, S L Bassin & N D Wong

  2. Global Outcomes Research, Merck & Co. Inc., West Point, PA, USA

    S Kamal-Bahl

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  1. H Ghandehari
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  2. V Le
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  3. S Kamal-Bahl
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  4. S L Bassin
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Correspondence to N D Wong.

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Ghandehari, H., Le, V., Kamal-Bahl, S. et al. Abdominal obesity and the spectrum of global cardiometabolic risks in US adults. Int J Obes 33, 239–248 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2008.252

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