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Evaluation of anthropometric indices for metabolic syndrome in Chinese adults aged 40 years and over

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Abstract

Background

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is increasing worldwide with a marked impact in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes risk.

Aim of the study

To evaluate the anthropometric indices for metabolic syndrome (MetS) and determine the optimal cut-off values of waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and waist height ratio (WHtR) for MetS in Chinese adults aged 40 years and over.

Methods

A sample of Chinese adults aged 40 years and over including 430 men and 638 women was investigated. Blood pressure, weight, height, and WC were measured; HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), Triglyceride (TG), and plasma glucose were examined. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analyses were used to evaluate the optimal cut-off point of WC, BMI, and WHtR for MetS.

Results

According to the ROC curve analysis, the optimal cut-off point for WC was found to be 84.0 cm in men and 80.0 cm in women; for BMI, it was 26.0 in men and 25.0 in women; and for WHtR, it was 0.5 in both men and women. WHtR has the highest predictive value for fast plasma glucose in women, while BMI has the better prediction of dyslipidemia in men.

Conclusions

Anthropometric indices (WC, BMI, and WHtR) are useful screening tools for obesity, MetS, and CVD risk factors. BMI may be a better indicator than the others for screening obesity, dyslipidemia, and other risk components in Chinese men aged 40 years and over, while WHtR may be better for Chinese women, especially among those aged 70 years and over.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by funds from Shanghai Science and Technology Commission (04DZ19502),(07DJ14005)and Natural Science Foundation of School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (06XJ21202), Shanghai, China. Authors would like to thank all patients and institutes that participated in this study.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 227 Chong Qing Nan Road, 200025, Shanghai, China

    Yan-Hong He, Guo-Xin Jiang & Qi Cheng

  2. Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 197 Rui Jin Er Road, 200025, Shanghai, China

    Ying-Chun Chen, Xiao-Ying Li, Guang Ning & Qi Cheng

  3. Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden

    Guo-Xin Jiang

  4. Baoshan District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 201901, Shanghai, China

    Hong-Er Huang

  5. Shanghai Municipal Center of Disease Control and Prevention, 200336, Shanghai, China

    Rui Li

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  1. Yan-Hong He
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  2. Ying-Chun Chen
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  3. Guo-Xin Jiang
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  4. Hong-Er Huang
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  5. Rui Li
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  6. Xiao-Ying Li
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  7. Guang Ning
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  8. Qi Cheng
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Guang Ning or Qi Cheng.

Additional information

Y.-H. He and Y.-C. Chen are joint first authors.

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He, YH., Chen, YC., Jiang, GX. et al. Evaluation of anthropometric indices for metabolic syndrome in Chinese adults aged 40 years and over. Eur J Nutr 51, 81–87 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-011-0195-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-011-0195-2

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