28 Nov WHR (waist hip ratio) vs BMI for Cardiovascular Risk Prediction

Waist-to-Hip ratio appears to be a better predictor of Cardiovascular risk than BMI.  Men with waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) ≥0.90 and women with WHR ≥0.85 were considered to be centrally obese.   A person with a normal BMI and central obesity had a higher mortality risk than did an overweight or obese person with normal WHR.

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), researchers evaluated this association in >15,000 adults.

Definition:

Body mass index: A key index for relating weight to height. Abbreviated BMI. BMI is a person’s weight in kilograms (kg) divided by his or her height in meters squared. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) now defines normal weight, overweight, and obesity according to BMI rather than the traditional height/weight charts. Overweight is a BMI of 25 or more. Obesity is a BMI of 30 or more (about 30 pounds overweight). A very muscular person might have a high BMI without health risks.

(David W. Ball, MD, an Internal Medicine physician, founder of NuVitality Health – a wellness education company, and co-founder of Life Changing Fitness – a fitness facility for Every Body)