Comparison of Body Mass Index and Waist/Height Ratio in Predicting Definite Coronary Artery Disease

Background: Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist/hip ratio, waist/height ratio (WHtR) and skin fold thickness are clinical tools enabling the evaluation of obesity. WHtR is a recently introduced index to assess central fat distribution. This study was performed to compare the prognostic value of WHtR and BMI for definite coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in the Shahid-Chamran Hospital, Isfahan, Iran. The study included 591 patients undergoing coronary angiography for suspected ischemia. We measured BMI, WC and coronary artery scores of the patients. Prevalence of CAD was compared between obese (BMI >= 30) and abdominal obese (WHtR >= 0.55) participants. Results: Prevalence of CAD was significantly higher in abdominal obese patients (WHtR >= 0.55) than in patients without abdominal obesity (odds ratio, OR = 1.63, p = 0.008). The difference in CAD prevalence between obese (BMI 6 30) and non-obese patients nearly reached significance (OR = 1.48, p = 0.058). There was a significant positive correlation between CAD score and age (p < 0.01), WC (p < 0.05), and WHtR (p < 0.01) in male participants. Conclusion: WHtR may be a better marker of central obesity and may better predict CAD than BMI and WC. Copyright (C) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel