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The comparison of percent body fat estimated by different anthropometrics to predict the incidence of hypertension

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 34, pages 51–58 (2020)Cite this article

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Abstract

Percent body fat (%BF) is associated with the development of hypertension. However, the power of %BF estimated by different anthropometrics to predict incident hypertension was unknown. This study was from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). %BF was calculated using the equations with BMI, WC, and skinfold thickness and divided into low and high %BF according to ROC. Cox regression was employed to evaluate the power of different %BFs to predict the development of hypertension. When not adjusting for covariates, %BFs defined by BMI, WC, and ST were the significant predictors of the development of hypertension (all P < 0.0001; crude HR: 2.238, 3.243, and 1.574; and HR 95% CI: 2.098–2.387, 2.905–3.619, and 1.464–1.692). When three %BFs entered into model simultaneously, the significance in %BF estimated by ST disappeared (P = 0.0765; adjusted HR: 1.124; and HR 95% CI: 0.988–1.280). For males, %BFs by BMI, WC, and ST significantly affected the incidence of hypertension as they were separately analyzed (all P < 0.0001; crude HR: 2.445, 2.335, and 1.828; and HR 95% CI: 2.220–2.693, 2.011–2.712, and 1.636–2.042, respectively). For females, %BFs estimated by BMI, WC, and ST were the determinants of the development of hypertension whether covariates were adjusted or not (all P < 0.0001). In conclusion, there was a poor and ineffective association of %BF estimated by triceps skinfold thickness with the development of hypertension, especially when three %BFs were analyzed together. High %BFs estimated by BMI and WC were the true and effective predictors of the incidence of hypertension.

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Acknowledgements

This research uses data from China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). We thank the National Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Carolina Population Center, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the NIH (R01-HD30880, DK056350, and R01-HD38700) and the Fogarty International Center, NIH for financial support for the CHNS data collection and analysis files from 1989 to 2006 and both parties plus the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Ministry of Health for support for CHNS 2009 and future surveys.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (71704131).

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  1. Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China

    Yongjie Chen, Xuan Liang, Senshuang Zheng, Yuan Wang & Wenli Lu

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Chen, Y., Liang, X., Zheng, S. et al. The comparison of percent body fat estimated by different anthropometrics to predict the incidence of hypertension. J Hum Hypertens 34, 51–58 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41371-019-0240-9

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