Waist to hip ratio is a better predictor of esophageal acid exposure than body mass index

Treatment with metformin three times 500 mg daily had been advised since 2002, to patients suffering from the polycystic ovary syndrome diagnosed by the Rotterdam criteria and who did not want to take contraceptive pills. More recently, life style changes have also been introduced to treatment recommendation: increased physical activity, low glycaemic index diet; also with calorie restriction for the obese patients. Aim: To assess the efficacy of the two treatment forms on clinical symptoms of the disease. Method: The metformin only historical control group (metformin monotherapy) consisted of 27 patients between the ages from 18 to 39 years (mean 29 years); to which was the age-matched metformin and life style changes group (triple basal therapy) of 29 patients compared. The following parameters were registered at the beginning and the end of a six-month treatment period: global acne score, Ferriman-Gallwey hirsutism score, body mass index, waist-to-hip circumference ratio, and menstrual cycles. Results: By the end of the treatment period, both acne and hirsutism scores improved significantly in both treatment groups (P<0.001); the improvements did not differ between them: acne 8.6±5.7 vs. 9.2±5.9 (P = 0.70); hirsutism 2.5±2.0 vs. 2.6±1.6 (P = 0.83). Body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio remained practically unchanged in the metformin only group: 0.26±1.0 kg/m2 (P = 0.21) and 0.001±0.02 (P = 0.71). Body mass index decreased in the triple therapy group by 0.91±1.1 kg/m2 (P<0.001); and waist-to-hip ratio by 0.019±0.03 (P<0.001). The decrease of the body mass index was more remarkable in overweight patients: 1.10±1.26 kg/m2 (P = 0.002) vs. 0.64±0.88 kg/m2 (P = 0.03) in lean patients. Recommendation on life style changes with metformin did not show further improvement of hyperandrogenic symptoms in comparison to metformin alone but the combined therapy diminished body size indexes. Conclusion: Authors recommend the triple basal treatment consisting of metformin, physical exercise and low glycaemic index diet to their patients with polycystic ovary syndrome for assessment of its long-term efficacy. Orv. Hetil., 2011, 152, 628–632.

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Associations of Body Mass Index, Visceral Fat Area, Waist Circumference, and Waist-to-Hip Ratio with Cognitive Function in Western China: Results from WCHAT Study

The journal of nutrition health & aging ◽

10.1007/s12603-021-1642-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

X. Liu ◽

X. Chen ◽

L. Hou ◽

X. Xia ◽

F. Hu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Waist Circumference ◽

Body Mass ◽

Visceral Fat ◽

Western China ◽

Visceral Fat Area ◽

Waist To Hip Ratio

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The Influence of Anthropometric Indices and Intermediary Determinants of Hypertension in Bangladesh

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18115646 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 5646

Author(s):

Sally Sonia Simmons ◽

John Elvis Hagan ◽

Thomas Schack

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Body Mass Index ◽

Waist Circumference ◽

Body Mass ◽

Odds Ratio ◽

Height Ratio ◽

Anthropometric Parameters ◽

Anthropometric Indices ◽

Waist To Hip Ratio ◽

Waist To Height Ratio

Hypertension is a major public health burden in Bangladesh. However, studies considering the underlying multifaceted risk factors of this health condition are sparse. The present study concurrently examines anthropometric parameters and intermediary factors influencing hypertension risk in Bangladesh. Using the 2018 World Health Organisation (WHO) STEPwise approach to non-communicable disease risk factor surveillance (STEPS) study conducted in Bangladesh and involving 8019 nationally representative adult respondents, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the association between anthropometrics, other intermediary factors and hypertension. The regression results were presented using the odds ratio (OR) and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) at 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The risk of hypertension was higher among females and males who were 40 years and older. However, among females, those who were age 60 years and older were more than twice and thrice more likely to be hypertensive compared to those in the younger age groups (18–39, 40–59). Females who were obese (body mass index [BMI], waist to hip ratio [WHR], waist to height ratio [WHtR]) or had high waist circumference [WC] were twice as likely to be hypertensive. Males and females who were physically active, consuming more fruits and vegetables daily and educated had lower odds of developing hypertension. Key findings suggest that the association between anthropometric indices (body mass index [BMI], waist to hip ratio [WHR], waist to height ratio [WHtR]), waist circumference [WC]), other intermediary determinants (e.g., education, physical activity) and hypertension exist across gender and with increasing age among adults in Bangladesh. Developing appropriate public health interventions (e.g., regular assessment of anthropometric parameters) for early identification of the risk and pattern of hypertension through appropriate screening and diagnosis is required to meet the specific health needs of the adult Bangladesh population.

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Optimal cutoff values for anthropometric indices of obesity as discriminators of metabolic abnormalities in Korea: results from a Health Examinees study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10490-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sooyoung Cho ◽

Aesun Shin ◽

Ji-Yeob Choi ◽

Sang Min Park ◽

Daehee Kang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Waist Circumference ◽

Body Mass ◽

Metabolic Abnormalities ◽

Height Ratio ◽

Optimal Cutoff ◽

Waist To Hip Ratio ◽

Cutoff Values ◽

Waist To Height Ratio ◽

Conicity Index

Abstract Background Obesity is well known as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. We aimed to determine the performance of and the optimal cutoff values for obesity indices to discriminate the presence of metabolic abnormalities as a primary risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in a Health Examinees study (HEXA). Methods The current study analyzed 134,195 participants with complete anthropometric and laboratory information in a Health Examinees study, consisting of the Korean population aged 40 to 69 years. The presence of metabolic abnormality was defined as having at least one of the following: hypertension, hyperglycemia, or dyslipidemia. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for body mass index, waist to hip ratio, waist to height ratio, waist circumference, and conicity index. Results The AUC of metabolic abnormalities was the highest for waist-to-height ratio (AUC [95% CIs], 0.677 [0.672–0.683] among men; 0.691 [0.687–0.694] among women), and the lowest for the C index (0.616 [0.611–0.622] among men; 0.645 [0.641–0.649] among women) among both men and women. The optimal cutoff values were 24.3 kg/m2 for the body mass index, 0.887 for the waist-to-hip ratio, 0.499 for the waist-to-height ratio, 84.4 cm for waist circumference and 1.20 m3/2/kg1/2 for the conicity index among men, and 23.4 kg/m2 for the body mass index, 0.832 for the waist-to-hip ratio, 0.496 for the waist-to-height ratio, 77.0 cm for the waist circumference and 1.18 m3/2/kg1/2 for the conicity index among women. Conclusion The waist-to-height ratio is the best index to discriminate metabolic abnormalities among middle-aged Koreans. The optimal cutoff of obesity indices is lower than the international guidelines for obesity. It would be appropriate to use the indices for abdominal obesity rather than general obesity and to consider a lower level of body mass index and waist circumference than the current guidelines to determine obesity-related health problems in Koreans.

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