PLoS ONE (Jan 2020)

Factor analysis for the clustering of cardiometabolic risk factors and sedentary behavior, a cross-sectional study.

  • Tsung-Ying Tsai,
  • Pai-Feng Hsu,
  • Chung-Chi Lin,
  • Yuan-Jen Wang,
  • Yaw-Zon Ding,
  • Teh-Ling Liou,
  • Ying-Wen Wang,
  • Shao-Sung Huang,
  • Wan-Leong Chan,
  • Shing-Jong Lin,
  • Jaw-Wen Chen,
  • Hsin-Bang Leu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0242365
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 11
p. e0242365

Abstract

Read online

BackgroundFew studies have reported on the clustering pattern of CVD risk factors, including sedentary behavior, systemic inflammation, and cadiometabolic components in the general population.ObjectiveWe aimed to explore the clustering pattern of CVD risk factors using exploratory factor analysis to investigate the underlying relationships between various CVD risk factors.MethodsA total of 5606 subjects (3157 male, 51.5±11.7 y/o) were enrolled, and 14 cardiovascular risk factors were analyzed in an exploratory group (n = 3926) and a validation group (n = 1676), including sedentary behaviors.ResultsFive factor clusters were identified to explain 69.4% of the total variance, including adiposity (BMI, TG, HDL, UA, and HsCRP; 21.3%), lipids (total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol; 14.0%), blood pressure (SBP and DBP; 13.3%), glucose (HbA1C, fasting glucose; 12.9%), and sedentary behavior (MET and sitting time; 8.0%). The inflammation biomarker HsCRP was clustered with only adiposity factors and not with other cardiometabolic risk factors, and the clustering pattern was verified in the validation group.ConclusionThis study confirmed the clustering structure of cardiometabolic risk factors in the general population, including sedentary behavior. HsCRP was clustered with adiposity factors, while physical inactivity and sedentary behavior were clustered with each other.