Relationship of anthropometric indices of body fat to cardiovascular risk in Japanese women.

The relationship between body fat indices and cardiovascular risk was analyzed in 97 Japanese women aged 36-72 years. The variables used were anthropometric measures of body fatness, blood lipids and blood pressure. Total adipose tissue weight (TATW) was estimated from bioelectrical impedance measurements. Subcutaneous adipose tissue weight (SATW) was calculated by measuring subcutaneous fat thickness at 14 sites using a skinfold caliper. The indices of body fat distribution were the ratios of waist to hip circumference (WHR) and abdominal to hip circumference (AHR). Blood pressure and serum lipid levels were determined in all subjects after an overnight fast. The correlations among the various body fat indices were high, and all were strongly correlated with WHR and AHR; only % SATW and percentage internal adipose tissue weight (%IATW) were not correlated with WHR and AHR. Significant positive associations were found between WHR, triglycerides and systolic blood pressure (SBP). Negative associations were found between WHR and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-ch.) and the ratio of HDL-ch. to total cholesterol (HDL-ch./T-ch.). On the other hand, significant positive associations were found between AHR, T-ch., LDL-cholesterol, free fatty acid and SBP. A negative association was found between AHR and HDL-ch./T-ch.. Partial correlations were used to determine further associations between cardiovascular risk factors and fat distribution indices. SBP was associated with WHR or AHR after removing the effects of age. Similarly, HDL-ch./T-ch. was associated with WHR or AHR after removing the effects of age and degree of obesity (BMI). These results suggest that the WHR and AHR are equally valid estimates of body fat distribution with respect to their relationship with cardiovascular risk. These relationships occurred independently of age or BMI in Japanese women. These findings emphasize the importance of intra-abdominal obesity as a metabolic risk factor for cardiovascular disease associated with a high WHR and AHR.