Waist circumference action levels in the identification of cardiovascular risk factors: prevalence study in a random sample.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the frequency of cardiovascular risk factors in people categorised by previously defined "action levels" of waist circumference.

DESIGN

Prevalence study in a random population sample.

SETTING

Netherlands.

SUBJECTS

2183 men and 2698 women aged 20-59 years selected at random from the civil registry of Amsterdam and Maastricht.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Waist circumference, waist to hip ratio, body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m2)), total plasma cholesterol concentration, high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration, blood pressure, age, and lifestyle.

RESULTS

A waist circumference exceeding 94 cm in men and 80 cm in women correctly identified subjects with body mass index of > or = 25 and waist to hip ratios > or = 0.95 in men and > or = 0.80 in women with a sensitivity and specificity of > or = 96%. Men and women with at least one cardiovascular risk factor (total cholesterol > or = 6.5 mmol/l, high density lipoprotein cholesterol < or = 0.9 mmol/l, systolic blood pressure > or = 160 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure > or = 95 mm Hg) were identified with sensitivities of 57% and 67% and specificities of 72% and 62% respectively. Compared with those with waist measurements below action levels, age and lifestyle adjusted odds ratios for having at least one risk factor were 2.2 (95% confidence interval 1.8 to 2.8) in men with a waist measurement of 94-102 cm and 1.6 (1.3 to 2.1) in women with a waist measurement of 80-88 cm. In men and women with larger waist measurements these age and lifestyle adjusted odds ratios were 4.6 (3.5 to 6.0) and 2.6 (2.0 to 3.2) respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Larger waist circumference identifies people at increased cardiovascular risks.