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The relationship between the weight-adjusted-waist index and left ventricular hypertrophy in Chinese hypertension adults

Hypertension Research volume 46, pages 253–260 (2023)Cite this article

Abstract

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a major cardiac complication of hypertension. Weight-adjusted-waist index (WWI) is a new obesity index that has been found to be positively associated with cardiovascular disease mortality. We aimed to investigate the relationship between the WWI and LVH in Chinese hypertension adults. The study is a community-based cross-sectional study that included 4715 patients with hypertension and integrated clinical and echocardiographic data. LVH was diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography in these patients based on a criterion of left ventricular mass index (LVMI) over 49.2 g/m2.7 in men and 46.7 g/m2.7 in women. The independent association between the WWI quartiles and LVH prevalence was analyzed by logistic regression models. The prevalence of LVH in the first quartile of WWI (Q1: <10.16), second (Q2: 10.16 ~ 10.67), the third (Q3: 10.68~11.19), and the highest quartile (Q4: ≥11.20) was 34.1%, 38.4%, 42.4%, 51.5%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis suggested that the WWI was independently correlated with LVH with adjustment of confounding factors, and increased across the quartile of WWI. Compared to the first quartile of WWI (Q1), the odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for LVH in the increasing quartiles (Q2–Q4) were 1.33(1.08-1.63), 1.50 (1.19–1.89) and 2.28(1.74–2.99), respectively. In stratified analyses, the relationship between WWI and LVH risk persisted. The WWI may be an independent determinant of LVH in Chinese hypertension adults.

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The research data used to support the finding of this study are available from the corresponding authors upon request.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the researchers and study participants for their contributions.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2020YFC2008900), the National Defense Science and Technology Innovation Special Zone Project (19-163-15-ZD-009-001-10), and the Key Projects of Logistics Scientific Research Project of Chinese PLA (19BJZ30), the Military Medical Youth Growth Project of PLA General Hospital (Funding No. QNC19005), which contributed to the data collection job.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Shuang Cai, Tianyu Zhu, Ying Ding.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geriatrics, the second Medical Center & National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China

    Shuang Cai, Bokai Cheng, Anhang Zhang, Qiligeer Bao, Jin Sun, Man Li & Shuxia Wang

  2. Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100853, China

    Shuang Cai, Bokai Cheng, Anhang Zhang, Qiligeer Bao, Jin Sun, Man Li & Shuxia Wang

  3. Department of Cardiology, Peking University International Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China

    Tianyu Zhu & Xiaohui Liu

  4. Department of Nephrology, Peking University International Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China

    Ying Ding

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  1. Shuang Cai
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Contributions

SW, XL, and SC designed the research. SC, TZ, YD, BC, and AZ, collected the data. SC, TZ, and YD wrote the paper. JS, ML, and QB help optimize the research and proofread the paper. The authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Xiaohui Liu or Shuxia Wang.

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The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the ethical committees of the Fuwai Hospital and local hospitals. The research procedures followed the ethically normative criteria. Written informed consent to participate in the study was obtained from all participants.

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Cai, S., Zhu, T., Ding, Y. et al. The relationship between the weight-adjusted-waist index and left ventricular hypertrophy in Chinese hypertension adults. Hypertens Res 46, 253–260 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-022-01075-z

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