ASSOCIATIONS OF INDEXES OF ADIPOSITY WITH ATHEROGENIC LIPOPROTEIN SUBFRACTIONS

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations of indices of adiposity wit h cardiovascular risk factors. SUBJECTS: 93 men and 98 women aged 18-6 9 y. OUTCOME MEASURES: Body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR) , waist circumference, waist to height ratio, blood pressure, fasting concentrations of blood glucose, insulin, plasma lipids and lipoprotei n subfractions, apoproteins, lipoprotein(a) and post-heparin lipases. RESULTS: BMI and waist showed similar associations (P < 0.01) with a c luster of major cardiovascular risk factors including total cholestero l, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol and very low density lipoprotei n-cholesterol in men, and ratio of low density lipoprotein-/high densi ty lipoprotein-cholesterol for both genders. Large waist circumference was significantly (P (0.01) associated (controlled for age and smokin g) with features of the metabolic syndrome, including raised insulin c oncentration (men: r = 0.37, women: r = 0.49), reduced high density li poprotein(2) (men: r = -0.30, women: r = -0.34), increased very low de nsity lipoprotein(1) mass (men: r = 0.31, women: r = 0.42), raised sma ll, dense low density lipoprotein (men: r = 0.30, women: r = 0.31), el evated blood pressure (men: r = 0.27, women: r = 0.28), increased trig lyceride (men: r = 0.43, women: r = 0.48) and apolipoprotein-B (men: r = 0.32, women: r = 0.35). Waist circumference also correlated with he patic lipase/lipoprotein lipase ratio in women (r = 0.52). Height adju stment did not substantially change relationships between waist circum ference and risk factors. WHR correlated with fewer risk factors. CONC LUSION: For the purpose of health promotion to prevent cardiovascular disease associated with overweight and intra-abdominal fat accumulatio n, the general public should be advised to be aware of the risk associ ated with large waist circumference.