Comparison of abdominal obesity measures in predicting of 10-year cardiovascular risk in an Iranian adult population using ACC/AHA risk model: A population based cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Several abdominal obesity measures have been used for prediction of 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk but the superiority of these measures remains controversial. The objective of this study was to assess the predictive ability of abdominal obesity measures for risk of CVD events in an Iranian adult population.

METHODS: We analyzed the data of population based cross-section study of 567 representative samples of adult population aged 40-70 years in Babol, the north of Iran. The demographic data, the anthropometric measures, lipid profile and cardiometabolic risk factors were measured with standard methods. Waist to hip ratio (WHR), waist to height ratio (WHtR), conicity index(CI), abdominal volume index (AVI) and body mass index(BMI)were calculated. The individual 10-year CVD risk was estimated based on ACC/AHA model. ROC analysis was performed to assess the diagnostic ability of different abdominal obesity measures and body mass index (BMI) in predicting of high risk of CVD events.

RESULTS: About 42.5% of men and 15% of women had at least 10% risk of 10-year cardiovascular events and 21.1% of men and 3.0% of women had ≥20% risk. Except WHR for men, all abdominal obesity measures significant predictors for ≥10% risk CVD risk in both sexes but not BMI. The greater ability of CVD risk prediction was observed by WHtR and CI in both sexes with higher AUC in females compared with men for ≥10% risk.

CONCLUSION: WHtR and CI are superior indexes in predicting of high risk of CVD events in both sexes.