Comparison of Measures of Adiposity and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among African American Adults: the Jackson Heart Study

Ronny A. Bell, Haiying Chen, Santiago Saldana, Alain G. Bertoni, Valery S. Effoe, Kristen G. Hairston, Rita R. Kalyani, Arnita F. Norwood

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Obesity, particularly central adiposity, is a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Waist circumference (WC) is measured in numerous epidemiologic studies as a relatively simple indicator of central adiposity. However, recently, investigators have considered a measure that takes height into consideration, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) as a more sensitive predictor of CVD. A limited number of studies have examined the association between various measures of central adiposity and obesity with CVD, but there is a dearth of information on this topic focused specifically on African American adults. Given the high rates of cardiovascular disease and metabolic risk factors in this population, it is important to develop validated, easy-to-measure indicators of CVD risk for clinical use. Data from 4758 African American adults participating in the baseline visit of the Jackson Heart Study with available risk factor data were examined, with three measures of body habitus (body mass index (BMI), WC, and WHtR) and five CVD risk factors (HDL and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, diabetes, and hypertension), the latter also categorized into multiple (2+) risk factors present. C-statistics for waist circumference (WC), BMI, and WHtR were computed and compared for each model to assess their discriminant abilities. WHtR was a stronger correlate of HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, diabetes, hypertension, and multiple risk factors compared to BMI, and was a stronger correlate of HDL cholesterol when compared to WC. These data indicate that, for African American adults, WHtR may be more appropriate measure to identify those at elevated risk for CVD.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1230-1237
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
Volume5
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 15 2018

Keywords

  • African Americans
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Obesity
  • Waist circumference

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Health(social science)
  • Anthropology
  • Sociology and Political Science
  • Health Policy
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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