Waist-to-hip ratio as a contributor associated with higher atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk assessment in patients with diabetes: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to identify the factors most strongly associated with an increased atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk score in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 4698 patients with T2D over an 11-year period (2010-2021). Patients were categorized into four groups based on their 10-year ASCVD risk score (< 5%, 5-7.5%, 7.5-20%, and > 20%). Multinominal regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between various modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors and the ASCVD risk score.

RESULTS

Of the patients, 35.9% had a 10-year ASCVD risk score below 5%, 12.6% had a score between 5% and 7.5%, 30.8% had a score between 7.5% and 20%, and 19.7% had a score above 20%. Higher ASCVD risk scores were significantly associated with elevated waist-to-hip ratio (WHR > 0.93), pulse pressure, uric acid, triglycerides, and decreased glomerular filtration rate (all p-values < 0.05). WHR demonstrated the strongest association with higher ASCVD risk scores (OR: 4.55, 95% CI: 2.94-7.03, p < 0.001) when comparing patients with ASCVD scores > 5% to those with scores < 5%.

CONCLUSION

WHR was independently associated with higher ASCVD risk scores in patients with T2D. Incorporating WHR, along with traditional risk factors, could improve ASCVD risk assessments in this population.