Gender Differences in Obesity Indices in a 10-Year Risk for Cardiovascular Disease

Objective: To explore the relationship between gender-specific of obesity indices and the 10-year risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) among elderly population in southern Taiwan.
Methods: Data were collected from Pingtung County in southern Taiwan through a health screening program, carried out from March 2007 to May 2008.The following obesity indices were included: (1) body mass index (BMI); (2) waist circumference (WC); (3) waist-to-hip ratio (WHR); (4) waist-height ratio (WHtR). The present study used the risk assessment tool of the Framingham Heart Study and adopted ≦10% as low risk, 11~20% as moderate risk, and >20% as high risk for CVD. Multiple logistic regression was used to predict the risk indices of obesity causing 10-year risk for CVD.
Results: A total of 831 participants were recruited in the screen program. The prevalence of the obesity indices was as follow: BMI 21.3%; WC 14.6%; WHR 47.1%; and WHtR 65.2%. A total of 118participants were found to have 10-year CVD risk groupings>20%, a prevalence rate of 14.2%. The 10-year risk for CVD is higher in men; subjects≧65 years old in both genders have a higher prevalence of moderate and high risk for CVD. After using multiple logistic regression, the results showed that men who are abnormal in WHR, WHtR, have higher moderate and high 10-year risk for CVD; In this study, men didn't find this risk in BMI and WC. Women on all four obesity indices are not the predictive factors of 10-year risk for CVD.
Conclusions: The predictive factors of 10-year risk for CVD were found in WHR and WHtR of men.