Association of Anthropometric Indices of Obesity and Body Fat Composition with Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, and Dyslipidemia: A Case-control Study

Abstract

Introduction: Presently, obesity has evolved as a global epidemic, impacting both developed and developing nations with same intensity. It require serious attention from both public and clinicians. Aim: To evaluate anthropometric indices as potential indicators of increased risk of Diabetes Mellitus (DM), hypertension, and dyslipidemia, as anthropometric measures are better for the same. Materials and Methods: This case-control study, conducted between November to April 2014 in Sulia, Karnataka, India. A total of 200 patients of either gender, aged 30 to 90 years with either hypertension, or type 2 DM, or dyslipidemia, or obesity or any combinations of the above were recruited and grouped as cases. Another 200 apparently healthy volunteer were considered controls. Anthropometric indices, like height, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist Circumference (WC), Waist-toHip Ratio (WHR), Hip Circumference (HC), body and visceral fat percentage, and skin fold thickness measured. Statistical tests like Shapiro-Wilk test, chi-square test and Mann-Whitney test were applied using software R version 3.6.0. Results: No significant difference was observed between study groups with respect to age (p-value=0.115). Among cases, 54 (27%) had only DM, 44 (22%) had only hypertension, whereas 102 (51%) had both DM and hypertension. Statistically, a significant difference was found between study groups with respect to distribution of BMI (p-value <0.0004), WC (p-value <0.001), WHR (p-value <0.001), body fat (p-value <0.001), visceral fat (p-value <0.0002), skin fold (p-value <0.001), glycaemic (p-value <0.001) and lipid profile (p-value <0.00001). Cases were 3.2 times more likely to have dyslipidemia than controls (OR: 3.2; CI: 2.1-4.9). With a unit increase in the body fat, visceral fat, Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), triglycerides and BMI, odds of having hypertension or diabetes increases by a factor of 1.39, 1.16, 1.46, 1.03 and 0.67, respectively. Conclusion: There was a strong significant association of anthropometric indices of obesity and body fat percentage with hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia.

Keywords

• body mass index
• glycaemic profile
• karada scan
• risk factors
• visceral fat
• waist-hip ratio