Body fat percent by bioelectrical impedance analysis and risk of coronary artery disease among urban men with low rates of obesity: the Indian paradox.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the association between body fat percent and prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and coronary risk factors in subjects with low rates of obesity.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

We randomly selected 850 men, aged 25 to 64 years. The survey methods were questionnaire and bioelectrical impedance analysis for body composition. Subjects were divided into high-fat (n = 357), over-fat (n = 230), normal-fat (n = 200) and under-fat (n = 63) based on criteria of body-fat percent analysis.

RESULTS

The prevalence of CAD and the coronary-risk factors hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes, mellitus and sedentary lifestyle were significantly associated with high and moderate body fat percent despite low body-mass index (23.6+/-4.1 kg/m2). Mean total cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure were significantly associated with high and moderate body fat percent. The prevalence of smoking was weakly but inversely associated with high body-fat percent. Mean HDL cholesterol was positively associated with high body-fat percent. Body mass index was positively associated with high body-fat percent.

CONCLUSIONS

High and moderate body-fat-percent subjects were associated with high prevalence of CAD and the coronary-risk factors hypertension, diabetes mellitus, higher body-mass index and sedentary lifestyle.