Waist-height ratio highlights detrimental risk for olanzapine associated weight gain earlier than body mass index

Abstract

Objective The objective of the current study was to compare the level of sensitivity of body mass index (BMI) or waist-height ratio (WHtR) in identifying physically determinable adiposity levels that are considered to be landmarks for commencing intervention to prevent more sinister cardio-metabolic risks among schizophrenia patients receiving olanzapine. Methods The study was a descriptive crossectional one among patients with schizophrenia recieving olanzapine and healthy volunteers as controls. Key measurement of anthropological parameters were compared between the population. Results Our findings revealed significantly higher rates of abnormal body mass index (BMI) (X2=17.06, p=0.000036; OR=4.58, CI=2.16–9.74) and abnormal waist-height ratio (WHtR) (X2=35.57, p=2.46E-9; OR=6.37, CI=3.39–12.00) among the schizophrenia patients compared to the healthy volunteers. Notably, BMI identified 43.3 % of the schizophrenia patients as having concerning weight changes, whereas WHtR identified 64.7 %, indicating that WHtR is a more sensitive measure. This discrepancy means that an additional 21.4 % of schizophrenia patients would benefit from weight management guidance based on WHtR rather than BMI. Conclusion Our results underscore the critical importance of WHtR in assessing adiposity among schizophrenia patients treated with olanzapine, highlighting its value as a tool for monitoring and managing cardiometabolic risks in this population.