Korean J Obes.  2016 Sep;25(3):131-137. 10.7570/kjo.2016.25.3.131.

Waist Circumference-to-Height Ratio and Coronary Artery Calcification

• Kim JA
• Kang SG
• Song SW
• Shin B
• Choi YK

• KMID: 2357092
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7570/kjo.2016.25.3.131

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Many studies have demonstrated that the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is more correlated with coronary artery disease (CAD) than the body mass index (BMI). Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is an independent risk factor of atherosclerotic heart disease. However, the association between the WHtR and the coronary artery calcification score (CACS) still needs to be studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between WHtR and CACS in healthy adults.
METHODS
A total of 1,111 adults without a history of cardiovascular disease who visited the Health Promotion center at the University Hospital were included in this study. All subjects hadtheir CACS measured via multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT).
RESULTS
Participants with a CACS > 0 had a greater WHtR than those with a CACS of 0 (0.535±0.006 vs 0.517±0.005, p<0.001). After adjusting for risk factors that affect CAC, WHtR was an independent predictor of CAC (odds ratio: 1.04, p=0.019, 95% CI: 1.01-1.07). Male sex and systolic blood pressure are associated with 2.53- and 1.02-fold increases in CAC, respectively (p<0.001, 95% CI: 1.53-4.19; p>=0.007, 95% CI: 1.01-1.04).
CONCLUSION
In this study of adults without heart disease, WHtR was an independent predictor of CAC. These results suggest that WHtR may be a useful marker of CAD.

Keyword

Waist-to-height ratio; Coronary artery calcification; Coronary heart disease

MeSH Terms

Adult
Blood Pressure
Body Mass Index
Cardiovascular Diseases
Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary Disease
Coronary Vessels*
Health Promotion
Heart Diseases
Humans
Male
Risk Factors