Indexes of abdominal adiposity in patients with type 2 diabetes

Objective: To assess the relationship of waist circumference and weight/height ratio with height, and their association with components of the metabolic syndrome, in Type 2 diabetic patients. Design: multicenter cross-sectional survey on a cohort enrolled in a prospective observational study. Subjects: 13,232 patients (6816 women and 6416 men) with Type 2 diabetes, not currently affected by macrovascular complications. Measurements: height, weight, waist and hip circumference, waist/hip and waist/height ratios. Results: waist circumference was significantly correlated with height after adjustment for potential confounders (adjusted r=0.19 and 0.23 in women and men, respectively), while waist/height ratio showed an inverse correlation with height (r=-0.14 and -0.15, respectively). Elevated waist/height ratio was more predictive of hypertension and hypertriglyceridemia, than waist circumference or waist/hip ratio. Conclusions: Waist circumference is correlated with height; thresholds for waist circumference could need adjustment for height. Waist/height ratio, although inversely correlated with height, could be a better predictor of abnormalities associated with abdominal adiposity than waist circumference alone. (C) 2004, Editrice Kurtis.