WAIST MEASUREMENT CORRELATES TO A POTENTIALLY ATHEROGENIC LIPOPROTEINPROFILE IN OBESE 12-14-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

Epidemiological studies have indicated a relationship between overweig ht and cardiovascular disease. The present investigation was undertake n to identify anthropometric variables in childhood which may reflect the risk of cardiovascular disease in terms of unfavourable changes in apolipoprotein and lipid concentrations. Twenty-nine obese 16-year-ol ds and 32 obese 12-year-olds were recruited from a school screening pr ogramme and anthropometric data reflecting overweight and fat distribu tion were subjected to analysis of covariance, with blood pressure, ap olipoprotein and lipid concentrations as dependent variables. Results from the two groups were adjusted for puberty, gender and screening gr oup, allowing pooling of data. After such an adjustment, waist circumf erence was significantly correlated (r = partial correlation coefficie nt) to high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (r = -0.08, p < 0.05 ) and triglycerides (r = +0.24, p < 0.01). The waist:hip ratio was sig nificantly correlated to HDL-cholesterol (r = -0.10, p < 0.01) and tri glycerides (r = +0.22, p < 0.01). BMI was significantly correlated to triglycerides (r = +0.25, p < 0.001), and diastolic blood pressure (r = +0.08, p < 0.05). The partial regression coefficients for waist circ umference versus apolipoprotein B (r = +0.07) and the apolipoprotein B :A-I ratio (r = +0.06) were as strong as those for waist:hip ratio (r = +0.03 and r = +0.05, respectively). Our results demonstrate that abd ominal obesity is associated with an unfavourable lipid profile in obe se 12-14-year-old children. This may be related to an increased cardio vascular risk later in life. The waist measurement appears to be a con venient and informative anthropometric indicator of such metabolic alt erations.