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Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
Study Supports 'Pot Belly Theory' that High
Waist-to-Hip Ratio is Best Predictor of Heart Disease
Earlier study found WHR better measurement for heart
risk in senior citizens; body mass index used by most physicians
 Aug.
13, 2007 – A new study has found that people with a larger waist-to-hip
ratio may be at increased risk for heart disease. Sometimes referred to
as the “pot belly” theory, many are claiming this WHR measurement should
be considered along side the body mass index (BMI) measurement used most
often by physicians to measure obesity. A similar conclusion was reached
in 2006 by researchers looking at obesity in the elderly and its
relationship as a cause of death.
Editor's Note: See more on the 2006 study of senior citizens
in text box at lower right. Read more about measurements below story.
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Extreme Obesity in Women Increasing, Linked to
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7/04/06
»1 min 58
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Read the latest news on Senior
Health & Medicine |
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This new study by investigators at UT Southwester
Medical Center research evaluates the association between different
measures of obesity and the prevalence of arterial disease.
“Our study shows that people who develop fat around
the middle have more atherosclerotic plaque than those who have smaller
waist-to-hip ratios,” said Dr. James de Lemos, associate professor of
internal medicine and senior author of the study.
“The risk was the same for both men and women who
develop abdominal fat.”
Prior studies examining the association between
obesity and cardiovascular risk reported varied results for overweight
subjects who eventually had clinical cardiovascular events.
The patients often were evaluated for obesity on
the sole measurement of body mass index (BMI), a weight-to-height ratio
commonly used in doctors’ offices to gauge obesity.
The UT Southwestern findings, however, suggest that
BMI alone might not give a clear enough picture of heart disease risk.
The study is to be published in the Aug. 21 issue of the Journal of the
American College of Cardiology.
“BMI was used as the primary measure of obesity
rather than alternative measures such as waist circumference or
waist-to-hip ratio,” said Dr. de Lemos. “The latter measures have
demonstrated stronger correlations for cardiovascular risk than BMI.”
In the UT Southwestern study, researchers looked at
men and women between the ages of 18 and 65. Nearly 3,000 individuals
participated in a total of three medical visits each, which included an
in-home health survey, blood and urine collection, and a detailed
clinical exam complete with abdominal magnetic resonance imaging and
coronary artery calcium scans.
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Related Research |
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Waist-Hip Ratio Better Measure of Death Risk for
Older People Than BMI
Study finds Body Mass Index not the best indicator
of mortality
August 8, 2006 - Older people with high waist-hip
ratios (WHRs) have a higher mortality risk than those with a high body
mass index, or BMI, a new study reveals. This sheds further light on the
controversial reports about obesity in the elderly and its relationship
as a cause of death. Waist Hip Ratio is calculated by dividing your
waist measurement by your hip measurement.
Whereas justifiable attention is given to the
increasing problem of obesity in the general population, far less is
known about the relationship between obesity and mortality in older
people, or how mortality risk should be estimated.
The excess health risks associated with having a
high BMI are known to decline with age, yet expert bodies such as the
National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization have
continued to use in older people the same BMI criteria as for other age
groups.
Today's study, published in the American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition, was carried out by a team based at the London School
of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. It sought to investigate the association
of BMI, waist circumference (WC) and WHR with mortality and
cause-specific mortality.
The researchers studied 14,833 patients aged over 75
from 53 family practices in the UK; the subjects underwent a health
assessment that included taking body measurements and a follow-up (with
a median of 5.9 years) for mortality.
The findings confirmed that the current guidelines
for BMI-based risk categories overestimate the risks of excess weight in
people aged over 75 and are inappropriate for older men and women.
Read more...
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Calcium was more likely to be found in the arteries
of patients with the greatest waist-to-hip ratio, the researchers
discovered. People with the largest waist-to-hip ratio had a twofold
increase in the incidence of calcium deposits – a strong indicator of
future cardiovascular ailments including heart attacks.
The prevalence of coronary artery calcium was
strongly associated with waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio in
addition to high BMI.
Hip circumference alone, however, was not a strong
indicator for coronary calcium deposits.
“Fat that accumulates around your waist seems to be
more biologically active as it secretes inflammatory proteins that
contribute to atherosclerotic plaque buildup, whereas fat around your
hips doesn’t appear to increase risk for cardiovascular disease at all,”
Dr. de Lemos said.
“We think the key message for people is to prevent
accumulation of central fat early on in their lives. To do so, they will
need to develop lifelong dietary and exercise habits that prevent the
development of the ‘pot belly.’”
Editor’s Notes:
The research was conducted as part of the Dallas
Heart Study, a multiethnic, population-based study of more than 6,000
patients in Dallas County designed to examine cardiovascular disease.
The multiyear study aims to gather information to help improve the
diagnosis, prevention and treatment of heart disease.
Other UT Southwestern authors include Dr. Raphael
See, internal medicine resident; Dr. Shuaib Abdullah, internal medicine
postdoctoral researcher; Dr. Darren McGuire, associate professor of
internal medicine; Dr. Amit Khera, assistant professor of internal
medicine; Dr. Mahesh Patel, internal medicine resident; Dr. Jason
Lindsey, internal medicine resident; and Dr. Scott Grundy, professor of
internal medicine and director of UT Southwestern’s Center for Human
Nutrition.
The Dallas Heart Study is funded by the Donald W.
Reynolds Foundation. The National Institutes of Health also provided
grant funding for this latest study.
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About Waist-Hip Ratio |
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From
Anne Collins Weight Loss Program
Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) looks at the proportion of
fat stored on your body around your waist and hip. It is a simple but
useful measure of fat distribution. Most people store their body fat in
two distinct ways: around their middle (apple shape) and around their
hips (pear shape).
Waist-Hip Ratio and Health Risk
Having an apple shape (carrying extra weight around
the stomach) is riskier for your health than having a pear shape
(carrying extra weight around your hips or thighs). This is because body
shape and health risk are linked. If you have more weight around your
waist you have a greater risk of lifestyle related diseases such as
heart disease and diabetes than those with weight around their hips.
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About BMI |
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Obesity diagnosis and treatment are typically based
on body mass index (BMI).
Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body weight
relative to height. You can use BMI to see whether you are underweight,
normal weight, overweight, or obese.
To easily check your BMI use
our handy table - click here.
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Waist-Hip Ratio and Obesity
Even so, overall
obesity is still of greater risk than where fat is distributed or
stored on your body. Other important measurements are Body Mass Index
(BMI) and percentage of body fat.
How to Calculate Waist-Hip Ratio
Waist Hip Ratio is calculated by dividing your
waist measurement by your hip measurement. (Hips are the widest part of
your butt).
Best Waist-Hip Ratio for Men and Women
> Ideally, women should have a waist-to-hip ratio of
0.8 or less.
> Ideally, men should have a waist-to-hip ratio of
0.95 or less.
Go to the Anne Collins Weight Loss Program page to
automatically calculate your WHR -
click here.
> Home page for Anne Collins Weight Loss Program -
click here.
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