A cross-sectional study of 130 Bengalee Hindu men (mean age = 50.3 years; SD = 10.5 years) was undertaken to investigate the relationship of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) with total cholesterol (TC), high density (HDL-C), low density (LDL-C) and very low-density (VLDL-C) lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and triglycerides (FTG). Correlation studies revealed that WHR was significantly correlated (r = 0.245, p < 0.01) with TC. WC and WHR had significant correlations with VLDL-C, FPG and FTG. All subjects were further divided into two groups based on WHR < or = 0.95 (centrally non-obese, CNO) and WHR > 0.95 (centrally obese, CO) following the US Joint National Committee (JNC) guidelines. Students' t-test revealed that CO subjects (n = 83) had a significantly higher mean TC (p < 0.05), VLDL (p < 0.05), FPG (p < 0.01) and FTG (p < 0.05) compared with CNO individuals (n = 47). Results of analysis of variance (ANOVA) of central obesity status (CNO = no, CO = yes) and BMI (BMI tertiles used as a categorical variable) with these metabolic variables revealed that CO status had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on TC, VLDL-C, FPG and FTG. BMI tertiles did not a have significant effect on any of these metabolic variables. There was no significant BMI tertile-central obesity status interaction. It can therefore be concluded that the JNC guidelines of WHR > 0.95 to define central obesity can be used, irrespective of BMI, among this population, to identify individuals who have enhanced metabolic risk factors of coronary heart disease (CHD). Furthermore, it can be routinely used for health promotion purposes among Bengalee men.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the associations of generalized and central adiposity with established metabolic risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) among Bengalee Hindu men of Kolkata, India. A cross-sectional study of 212 Bengalee Hindu men resident in Kolkata, India, was undertaken utilizing four measures of adiposity: body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio (WHR), and conicity index (CI). Total cholesterol (TC), high density (HDL-C), low density (LDL-C) and very low density (VLDL-C) cholesterol lipoproteins, fasting blood glucose (FBG) and fasting triglyceride (FTG) levels were recorded. Results revealed that BMI did not have significant correlation with any of the metabolic variables. The Pearson correlation coefficients (r) of the central adiposity measures (WC, WHR and CI) were similar. WC, WHR and CI were significantly correlated (except WC and TC) with TC, VLDL-C, FBG and FTG. However, HDL-C and LDL-C did not show significant correlation with WC, WHR and CI. Regression analyses revealed that WC, WHR and CI had significant impact on TC, VLDL-C, FBG and FTG. All three measures of central adiposity had similar effect. This significant effect remained essentially the same even after controlling for BMI. In conclusion, the present investigation revealed that among Bengalee Hindu men, any one of these three measures (WC, WHR and CI) can be used in cross-sectional epidemiological studies dealing with the relationship of central adiposity and metabolic risk factors for CHD.
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