Optimal cut-points for body mass index, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio using the Framingham coronary heart disease risk score in an Arab population of the Middle East.

We aimed to determine the gender-specific optimal cut-points for body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) associated with risk of cardiovascular disease, using Framingham risk score and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, among Omani Arabs. Nine percent of men, compared to 3% of women, had a 10-year total coronary heart disease (CHD) risk > or = 20%. In both genders, WHR was a better predictor of CHD (area under the ROC curve 0.771 for men and 0.802 for women), followed by WC (0.710 and 0.727) and BMI (0.601 and 0.639), respectively. For a 10-year CHD risk of > or = 20%, the optimal cut-points to assess adiposity in Omani men and women were > 22.6 and 22.9 kg/m2 for BMI, > 78.5 and 84.5 cm for WC, and > 0.96 and > 0.98 for WHR, respectively. To identify obesity among Omani Arabs, different cut-points for BMI, WC and WHR than the currently recommended ones are needed.