Association of a New Measure of Obesity with Hypertension and Health-Related Quality of Life

Abstract

BackgroundDespite its shortcomings, body mass index (BMI) has traditionally been used to define obesity. Another recently introduced obesity measure, A Body Shape Index (ABSI), has been introduced to focus on abdominal obesity, but its applicability remains limited. We analyzed the statistical properties of the ABSI and propose a modified ABSI, the z-score of the log-transformed ABSI (LBSIZ), to improve its applicability. We also examined the sensitivity of the newly introduced index in diagnosing obesity based on the percentage of body fat and its ability to predict hypertension and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQOL).Methods and ResultsWe transformed the ABSI to the LBSIZ in order to create a standard normalized obesity measure. All available data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) (1998–2012) have shown BMI to be highly correlated with weight (r = 0.85 for women, r = 0.87 for men) and waist circumference (WC) (r = 0.86 for women, r = 0.85 for men), but the LBSIZ was found to be weakly correlated with weight (r = 0.001 for women, r = 0.0001 for men) and moderately correlated with WC (r = 0.51 for women, r = 0.52 for men). BMI showed an inverted U-shaped pattern when plotted against age, but a linear pattern was observed for the LBSIZ, indicating they are different kinds of obesity measures. Logistic regression showed that the odds ratio of obesity for the LBSIZ was 1.86 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.73–2.00) for males and 1.32 (95% CI = 1.24–1.40) for females after adjusting for weight, height, age, and year of participation in the KNHANES. While both BMI and the LBSIZ were significantly related to hypertension, the LBSIZ alone was significantly associated with impaired HRQOL.ConclusionsThe LBSIZ is a standard normalized obesity measure independent of weight, height, and BMI. LBSIZ is a new measure of abdominal obesity with the ability to predict hypertension and impaired HRQOL, irrespective of BMI.

Waist-to-height ratio index for predicting incidences of hypertension: the ARIRANG study

“…However, till date, no definitive measurement tools or indices have been developed for the prediction of hypertension. The most conventionally perceived anthropometric index is the BMI, owing to its simplicity [ 21 , 22 ]. However, the BMI cannot differentiate between individuals with excess fat and those with a high muscle mass, and cannot discriminate the location of fat; thus, based on the BMI alone, such individuals would be perceived as having the same risk for the development of CVDs [ 10 , 23 ].…”

“…However, the BMI cannot differentiate between individuals with excess fat and those with a high muscle mass, and cannot discriminate the location of fat; thus, based on the BMI alone, such individuals would be perceived as having the same risk for the development of CVDs [ 10 , 23 ]. WC is strongly associated with visceral fat depots [ 24 ] and is now widely used in the measurement of abdominal obesity [ 21 ]. However, WC has a critical point in its use owing to its high collinearity with weight and BMI; thus, its role in the prediction of mortality and health risks is limited [ 21 ].…”

“…WC is strongly associated with visceral fat depots [ 24 ] and is now widely used in the measurement of abdominal obesity [ 21 ]. However, WC has a critical point in its use owing to its high collinearity with weight and BMI; thus, its role in the prediction of mortality and health risks is limited [ 21 ]. In particular, WC does not take into consideration differences in height.…”

Sex- and Age-Specific Optimal Anthropometric Indices as Screening Tools for Metabolic Syndrome in Chinese Adults

“…Similar results were obtained in a study conducted on a Japanese population [ 45 ]. A study in South Korea proposed a modified ABSI, i.e., z-score of the log-transformed ABSI, which is a new measure of abdominal obesity with the ability to predict hypertension and impaired health-related quality of life, irrespective of the BMI [ 46 ]. In the present study, ABSI exhibited the lowest odds ratio for cardiometabolic risk factors, MetS, and Framingham point score and the lowest predictive ability for cardiometabolic risks and MetS; this finding suggests that the ABSI could hardly be used to identify cardiometabolic risks or MetS in Chinese or Asian adults.…”

Anthocyanins Function as Anti-Inflammatory Agents in a Drosophila Model for Adipose Tissue Macrophage Infiltration

“…Obesity is a metabolic syndrome occurring worldwide and often associated with other chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disorders, type II diabetes, and cancer [ 1 ].…”