Relationships between body roundness with body fat and visceral adipose tissue emerging from a new geometrical model.

Article Type: Research article
Journal: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2013;21(11):2264–2271.
Authors:Thomas DM, Carl Bredlau, Anja Bosy-Westphal, Manfred Mueller, Wei Shen, Dympna Gallagher, Yuna Maeda, Andrew McDougall, Courtney M. Peterson, Eric Ravussin

Objective: To develop a new geometrical index that combines height, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC) and relate this index to total and visceral body fat. Design and Methods: Subject data were pooled from three databases that contained demographic, anthropometric, dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) measured fat mass, and magnetic resonance imaging measured visceral adipose tissue (VAT) volume. Two elliptical models of the human body were developed. Body roundness was calculated from the model using a well‐established constant arising from the theory. Regression models based on eccentricity and other variables were used to predict %body fat and %VAT. Results: A body roundness index (BRI) was derived to quantify the individual body shape in a height ‐independent manner. Body roundness slightly improved predictions of %body fat and %VAT compared to the traditional metrics of body mass index (BMI), WC, or HC. On this basis, healthy body roundness ranges were established. Conclusion: BRI, a new shape measure, is a predictor of %body fat and %VAT and can be applied as a visual tool for health status evaluations.

Body roundness index and waist-to-height ratio are strongly associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A population-based study.

Article Type: Research article
Journal: Hepatitis Monthly 2016;16(9):e39575.
Authors:Motamed N, Rabiee B, Hemasi GR, Ajdarkosh H, Khonsari MR, Maadi M, Keyvani H, and Zamani F.

Background: A strong association between obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been reported. Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate if new obesity indices, including a body shape index (ABSI) and body roundness index (BRI), have stronger associations with NAFLD than waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we utilized the data of 4,872 participants aged 18 – 74 years from a cohort study conducted among 6,143 subjects in northern Iran. Logistic regression analysis was performed on NAFLD as the outcome and obesity measures (based on Z-score values) as potential predictors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted, in which NAFLD was considered as a reference variable and obesity measures as classification variables. The discriminatory ability of the obesity measures was reported based on area-under-the-curves, and the related cut-off points of BRI and WHtR were determined using the Youden index (YI). Results: Based on our results, BRI (OR = 5.484 for men and OR = 3.482 for women) and WHtR (OR = 5.309 for men and OR = 3.854 for women) showed a higher association with NAFLD than ABSI (OR = 1.363 for men and OR = 1.003 for women) and WHR (OR = 3.123 for men and OR = 1.628 for women). The optimal cut-off points for BRI were 4.00 (sensitivity = 82.7%, specificity = 70.8%) for men and 5.00 (sensitivity = 83.3%, specificity = 71.7%) for women. The optimal cut-off points for WHtR were 0.533 (sensitivity = 82.7%, specificity = 70.8%) for men and 0.580 (sensitivity = 83.3%, specificity = 71.7%) for women. Conclusions: While BRI and WHtR have equally strong associations with NAFLD, ABSI and WHR have weaker associations with NAFLD than BRI and WHtR.

A body shape index and body roundness index: Two new body indices to identify diabetes mellitus among rural populations in northeast China.

Article Type: Research article
Journal: BMC Public Health 2015;15:794.
Authors: Chang Y, Guo X, Chen Y, Guo L, Li Z, Yu S, Yang H, and Sun Y.

Background:The Body Mass Index (BMI) has long been used as an anthropometric measurement. Waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) have been proposed as alternatives to BMI. Recently, two new anthropometric indices, the A Body Shape Index (ABSI) and Body Roundness Index (BRI) have been developed as possible improved alternatives to BMI and WC. The main research aim is to assess the capacity of the ABSI and BRI to identify subjects with diabetes mellitus (DM) and the secondary aim is to determine whether ABSI and/or BRI is superior to the traditional body indices (BMI, WC, and WHtR). Methods and results: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the rural areas of northeast China from January 2012 to August 2013, and the final analysis included data obtained from 5253 men and 6092 women. 1182 participants (10.4 %) suffered from DM. Spearman rank test showed that BRI and WHtR showed the highest Spearman correlation coefficient for DM whereas ABSI showed the lowest. The prevalence of DM increased across quartiles for ABSI, BMI, BRI, WC and WHtR. A multivariate logistic regression analysis of the presence of DM for the highest quartile vs. the lowest quartile of each anthropometric measure, showed that the WHtR was the best predictor of DM (OR: 2.40, 95 % CI: 1.42–3.39 in men; OR: 2.67, 95 % CI: 1.60–3.74 in women, both P < 0.001), and the ABSI was the poorest predictor of DM (OR: 1.51, 95 % CI: 1.05–1.97 in men; OR: 1.55, 95 % CI: 1.07–2.04 in women, both P < 0.05). ABSI showed the lowest AUCs (AUC: 0.61, 95 % CI: 0.58–0.63 for men; AUC: 0.61, 95 % CI: 0.59–0.63 for women) for DM in both sexes, while BRI (AUC: 0.66, 95 % CI: 0.63–0.68 for men; AUC: 0.67, 95 % CI: 0.65–0.69 for women) had high AUCs for DM that equaled those of WHtR. Conclusions: Our results showed neither ABSI nor BRI were superior to BMI, WC, or WHtR for predicting the presence of DM. ABSI showed the weakest predictive ability, while BRI showed potential for use as an alternative obesity measure in assessment of DM.

Capacity of a body shape index and body roundness index to identify diabetes mellitus in Han Chinese people in Northeast China: A cross-sectional study.

Article Type: Research article
Journal: Diabetic Medicine 2018;35(11):1580-1587
Authors: Zhao Q, Zhang K, Li Y, Zhen Q, Shi J, Yu Y, Tao Y, Cheng Y, and Liu Y.

Background: To assess the capacity of a body shape index and body roundness index to identify people with diabetes mellitus and those with prediabetes, and to determine whether a body shape index and/or body roundness index is superior to the traditional overall adiposity index, BMI, in Han Chinese people in Northeast China. Methods: A total of 15 078 participants were enrolled from Jilin province in 2012 using a multi-stage stratified random cluster sampling method. Demographic data were collected, and anthropometric indices and biochemical indices were measured. Receiver-operating characteristic curves were used to compare the validity of each anthropometric index, and the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve was calculated for each anthropometric index. Results: Body roundness index had the highest areas under the receiver-operating curve for prediabetes, diagnosed diabetes and undiagnosed diabetes in both men and women (all P<0.01). The optimum threshold values for body roundness index for prediabetes, undiagnosed diabetes and diagnosed diabetes, respectively, were 2.8, 3.7 and 3.3 in men, and 3.4, 3.8 and 3.6 in women. The cumulative proportions of prediabetes, undiagnosed diabetes and diagnosed diabetes identified by the optimum threshold values of body roundness index were 79.2%, 67.5% and 77.0% (82.3%, 62.5% and 75.3% in men; 74.6%, 74.9% and 78.3% in women), respectively. Conclusions: BMI, a body shape index and body roundness index may identify the presence of diabetes. Among the three anthropometric indices, BMI had the weakest association with diabetes. Body roundness index is an alternative index for assessing diabetes in Han Chinese people in Northeast China.

Relationship of a Body Shape Index and Body Roundness Index with carotid atherosclerosis in arterial hypertension.

Article Type: Research article
Journal: Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases 2019;29(8):822-829.
Authors:Geracia G, Zammuto M, Gaetania R, Mattina A, D’Ignoto F, Geracia C, Noto D, Averna M, Cottone S, and Mulè G.

Background: A Body Shape Index (ABSI) and Body Roundness Index (BRI) are two new anthropometric adiposity indices that have shown to be associated better than BMI with adipose abdominal tissue, with the onset of diabetes and the risk of premature death. Little is known about the influence of ABSI and BRI on subclinical vascular damage. The study was aimed to assess the relationship between ABSI and BRI with carotid atherosclerosis damage in subjects with arterial hypertension. Methods and results: A total of 468 patients with arterial hypertension (30–80 years old) were enrolled; adiposity indices were calculated (BMI, WC, ABSI, BRI) and carotid ultrasonographic examination was performed to detect atherosclerotic damage (IMT or atherosclerotic plaque). BRI, but not ABSI, was higher in subjects with IMT> 0.90 mm in comparison to those with a lower IMT (p < 0.001), whereas patients with carotid plaques showed higher values of ABSI (p = 0.001), as well as of BRI (p = 0.003). Linear regression analysis disclosed significant correlation of IMT with ABSI, BRI and BMI (all p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, BRI was independently correlated with cIMT (p = 0.015). On the contrary, ABSI did not show any independent association with cIMT. However, ABSI was strongly associated with carotid plaques in multiple logistic regression analysis after adjustment for potential confounding factors. When BRI or BMI replaced ABSI into the multivariate models, they did not show any independent correlation with carotid plaques. Conclusions: ABSI may be proposed as a better correlate of carotid atherosclerosis than the traditional measures of adiposity.

Relationship between body-roundness index and metabolic syndrome in type 2 diabetes.

Article Type: Research article
Journal: Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy 2019:12 931–935.
Authors: Liu B, Liu B, Wu G, and Yin F

Background: The present study evaluated the relationship between body-roundness index (BRI) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in type 2 diabetes. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 585 type 2 diabetes in Qinhuangdao. MetS was defined as per the Chinese Diabetes Society. Results: The BRI was strongly associated with the odds of having MetS in both males and females after adjustment for age, history of diabetes, and body-mass index (P<0.05). AUC of the BRI were 0.824 for males and 0.775 for females (P<0.001). The optimal cutoff points for the BRI were 3.85 in males (sensitivity 76.5%, specificity 82.1%) and 4.05 in females (sensitivity 76.4%, specificity 70.3%). Conclusion: The BRI was correlated with MetS and was an effective indicator for the screening of MetS in type 2 diabetes.

Evaluation of A Body Shape Index and Body Roundness Index, two new anthropometric indices, in obese individuals

Article Type:
Journal: Acta Medica Mediterranea 2018;34(5).
Authors: Ibrahim S, Guney I, Cihan F, Fatma & Mercan, Mercan S, and Eryilmaz M.

Background: The aim of this study was to reveal the relationship between ABSI (A Body Shape Index), BRI (Body Roundness Index), HOMA (Homeostatic model assessment) index and lipid parameters in overweight and obese patients. Materials and methods: Two hundred eighty eight patients, who were followed up in the obesity outpatient clinic throughout 2017 and met inclusion/exclusion criteria, were enrolled in the study. Anthropometric measurements were done according to international standards. The weight was measured using a body composition analyzer. Height was measured using a wall-mounted stadiometer. BMI (body mass index), ABSI, BRI, and HOMA index values were calculated by the standard international formulas. Fasting plasma glucose, insulin, and lipid levels were measured in blood samples taken after an average 10±2 hours of fasting. The data were further assessed by multivariate regression analysis and ROC curve analysis. Results: Of the participants, 77 (26.7%) were female and 211 (73.3%) were male. BRI and triglyceride values were independent determinants of HOMA index value. In the ROC analyzes in which predictive values of BRI and ABSI for overweight (BMI ≥25) and obesity (BMI≥30) were assessed, it was determined that BRI had better predictive values, but ABSI had insufficient predictive values. The area under the ROC curve for BRI in overweight patients was 0.929 and it was 0.949 in obesity. The BRI cut-off value (4.421888) predicts overweight patients with a sensitivity of 81.9% and a specificity of 92.1% while it (5.160223) predicts obesity with a sensitivity of 92.4% and a specificity of 86.1%. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that BRI and triglyceride values are independent determinants of HOMA index and that BRI is predictive for overweight and obesity, whereas ABSI has insufficient predictive values.

Feasibility of body roundness index for identifying a clustering of cardiometabolic abnormalities compared to BMI, waist circumference and other anthropometric indices – the China Health and Nutrition Survey, 2008 to 2009

Article Type:
Journal: Medicine 2016;95(34).
Authors:Tian S, Zhang X, Xu Y, and Dong H.

Background: The body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) are commonly used anthropometric measures for predicting cardiovascular diseases risk factors, but it is uncertain which specific measure might be the most appropriate predictor of a cluster of cardiometabolic abnormalities (CMA) in Chinese adults. A body shape index (ABSI) and body roundness index (BRI) have been recently developed as alternative anthropometric indices that may better reflect health status. The main aims of this study were to investigate the predictive capacity of ABSI and BRI in identifying various CMA compared to BMI, WC, waist-to-hip ratio (WHpR), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and to determine whether there exists a best single predictor of all CMA. Materials and methods: We used data from the 2009 wave of the China Health and Nutrition Survey, and the final analysis included 8126 adults aged 18 to 85 years with available fasting blood samples and anthropometric measurements. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted to assess the best anthropometric indices to predict the risk of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia, and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Logistic regression models were fit to evaluate the OR of each CMA according to anthropometric indices. Results: In women, the ROC analysis showed that BRI and WHtR had the best predictive capability in identifying all of CMA (area under the curves [AUCs] ranged from 0.658 to 0.721). In men, BRI and WHtR were better predictor of hypertension, diabetes, and at least 1 CMA (AUC: 0.668, 0.708, and 0.698, respectively), whereas BMI and WC were more sensitive predictor of dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia, and MetS. Furthermore, the ABSI showed the lowest AUCs for each CMA. According to the multivariate logistic regression analysis, BRI and WHtR were superior in discriminating hyperuricemia and at least 1 CMA while BMI performed better in predicting hypertension, diabetes, and MetS in women. In men, WC and BRI were the 2 best predictor of all CMA except MetS, and the ABSI was the worst.

Conclusions: Our results showed the novel index BRI could be used as a single suitable anthropometric measure in simultaneously identifying a cluster of CMA compared to BMI and WHtR, especially in Chinese women, whereas the ABSI showed the weakest discriminative power.

A Body Shape Index and Body Roundness Index: Two New Body Indices to Identify left Ventricular Hypertrophy among Rural Populations in Northeast China

Article Type:
Journal: Heart, Lung and Circulation 2016: 25(4):358-364.
Authors: Chang Y, Guo X, Li T, Li S, Guo J, and Sun Y.
Background: Recently, two new anthropometric indices, the A Body Shape Index (ABSI) and Body Roundness Index (BRI) have been developed as possible improved alternatives to body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). The main research aim is to assess the capacity of the ABSI and BRI to identify subjects with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and the secondary aim is to determine whether ABSI and / or BRI is superior to BMI, WC, and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). Methods and Results: This cross-sectional study was conducted among the rural population in northeast China and finally included 10,907 participants. Pearson rank test showed that BRI showed the highest correlation coefficient for LVH. Body Roundness Index had the highest AUCs for eccentric and concentric LVH (AUC: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.72-0.75; AUC: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.64-0.70, respectively). A multivariate logistic regression analysis also showed that BRI was the best predictor of eccentric and concentric LVH (OR: 5.11, 95% CI: 3.62-7.22; OR: 2.48, 95% CI: 1.40-4.40, respectively). In the five anthropometric indices, only BRI had predictive ability for concentric LVH. Conclusions: We have shown that BRI, not ABSI was superior measure compared to BMI, WC and WHtR for determining the presence of LVH, especially for eccentric LVH.

Entering a New Era of Body Indices: The Feasibility of a Body Shape Index and Body Roundness Index to Identify Cardiovascular Health Status

Article Type: Research article
Journal: PLoS ONE 2014;9(9)
Authors: Martijn F. H. Maessen , Thijs M. H. Eijsvogels, Rebecca J. H. M. Verheggen, Maria T. E. Hopman, André L. M. Verbeek, Femmie de Vegt

Background: The Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist Circumference (WC) are well-used anthropometric predictors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but their validity is regularly questioned. Recently, A Body Shape Index (ABSI) and Body Roundness Index (BRI) were introduced as alternative anthropometric indices that may better reflect health status. Objective: This study assessed the capacity of ABSI and BRI in identifying cardiovascular diseases and cardiovascular disease risk factors and determined whether they are superior to BMI and WC. Design and Methods: 4627 Participants (54±12 years) of the Nijmegen Exercise Study completed an online questionnaire concerning CVD health status (defined as history of CVD or CVD risk factors) and anthropometric characteristics. Quintiles of ABSI, BRI, BMI, and WC were used regarding CVD prevalence. Odds ratios (OR), adjusted for age, sex, and smoking, were calculated per anthropometric index. Results: 1332 participants (27.7%) reported presence of CVD or CVD risk factors. The prevalence of CVD increased across quintiles for BMI, ABSI, BRI, and WC. Comparing the lowest with the highest quintile, adjusted OR (95% CI) for CVD were significantly different for BRI 3.2 (1.4–7.2), BMI 2.4 (1.9–3.1), and WC 3.0 (1.6–5.6). The adjusted OR (95% CI) for CVD risk factors was for BRI 2.5 (2.0–3.3), BMI 3.3 (1.6–6.8), and WC 2.0 (1.6–2.5). No association was observed for ABSI in both groups. Conclusions: BRI, BMI, and WC are able to determine CVD presence, while ABSI is not capable. Nevertheless, the capacity of BRI as a novel body index to identify CVD was not superior compared to established anthropometric indices like BMI and WC.

Body Adiposity Index and Body Roundness Index in identifying insulin resistance among adults without diabetes.

Article Type: Research article
Journal: The American Journal of the Medical Sciences 2019;357(2):116-123.
Authors: Feng J, He S, and Chen X.
Background: Body adiposity index (BAI) and body roundness index (BRI), initially developed to assess obesity, were evaluated here to detect insulin resistance in comparison with traditional anthropometric indices of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), weight-to-height ratio (WHtR), visceral adiposity index (VAI) and abdominal volume index (AVI). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 570 Chinese individuals without diabetes were evaluated. Results: The Spearman rank test showed that insulin resistance correlated most strongly with WC and AVI in men and BMI in women, and most weakly with BAI in men and VAI in women. The prevalence of insulin resistance increased per quartile for all 7 anthropometric indices. Multivariate logistic regression identified BAI as the weakest predictor of insulin resistance in both genders (men, odds ratio [OR] 3.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09-10.18; women, OR 4.90, 95% CI 1.89-12.69), AVI as the strongest predictor in men (OR 19.73, 95% CI 2.51-155.04) and BMI as the strongest predictor in women (OR 15.55, 95% CI 4.71-51.28). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) showed that BAI exhibited the lowest AUCs for men (0.653, 95% CI 0.574-0.731) and women (0.701, 95% CI 0.627-0.774). BRI showed significantly higher AUCs for men (0.769, 95% CI 0.699-0.838) and women (0.763, 95% CI 0.699-0.827), and WHtR showed equal AUCs to BRI. Conclusions: Neither BAI nor BRI were superior to BMI, WC, WHtR, VAI or AVI for predicting insulin resistance. BAI showed the weakest predictive ability, while BRI showed reasonable potential to serve as an alternative anthropometric index to detect insulin resistance.

Using A Body Shape Index (ABSI) and Body Roundness Index (BRI) to predict risk of metabolic syndrome in Peruvian adults.

Article Type: Research article
Journal: Journal of International Medical Research 2019;0(0):1–12.
Authors: Stefanescu A, Revilla L, Lopez T, Sanchez SE, Williams MA, and Gelaye B.

Objective: We examined the ability of anthropometric measures to predict the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in Peruvian adults. Methods: Participants were 1,815 Peruvian adults. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), A Body Shape Index (ABSI), Body Roundness Index (BRI) and Visceral Adiposity Index were examined. MetS components were defined using the National Cholesterol Education Program’s Adult Treatment Panel III. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios of MetS and MetS components in relation to increases in anthropometric measures. Receiver operating characteristic curves (and area under the curve) were calculated to compare each measure’s power to predict MetS and MetS components. Results: BRI performed similar to or better than BMI and WC at predicting MetS and MetS components. ABSI underperformed other measures. In men, the odds of MetS and its components increased with unit increases in the anthropometric measures (e.g. a unit increase in BRI was associated with 2.43-fold increased odds of MetS; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.95–3.02). A similar association was found for women (odds ratio: 1.89; 95% CI: 1.68–2.12). Conclusion: Our study is the first to identify BRI as a potentially useful clinical predictor of MetS in Peruvian adults.

Body roundness index and body adiposity index: two new anthropometric indices to identify metabolic syndrome among Chinese postmenopausal women.

Article Type: Research article
Journal: Climacteric 2016;19(5):433-39.
Authors: Jiayue F, Sen H, and Xiaoping C

Objectives: Body roundness index (BRI) and body adiposity index (BAI) have been recently proposed to assess obesity. The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to compare their potential for identifying metabolic syndrome (MetS) with traditional obesity indices in Chinese postmenopausal women. Methods: A total of 817 participants were involved in this study. Odds ratio and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) between MetS and all indices were evaluated by binary logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve and area under curve (AUC) were employed to evaluate the abilities to identify MetS among all the indices. The differences in the AUC values between traditional indices and BAI as well as BRI were also evaluated. Results: The upper values of all indices were significantly associated with the presence of MetS after adjusting for potential confounders, except for BAI. There were no significant differences in the AUC values between BRI and the traditional indices; however, the AUC values of all the traditional indices were significantly larger than that of BAI. Conclusions: Neither BAI nor BRI was superior to traditional obesity indices for predicting MetS. BAI showed the weakest predictive ability, while BRI showed potential for use as an alternative obesity measure in assessment of MetS.

A Body Shape Index and Body Roundness Index: Two new body indices for detecting association between obesity and hyperuricemia in rural area of China.

Article Type: Research article
Journal: European Journal of Internal Medicine 2016;29:32-6
Authors: Zhang N, Chang Y, Guo X, Chen Y, Ye N, and Sun Y.

Background:The first objective was to examine whether A Body Shape Index (ABSI) and Body Roundness Index (BRI) can identify hyperuricemia in rural China. The second aim was to compare the relative strength of association between anthropometric indices and hyperuricemia.
Methods: A total of 11,345 participants were involved in this cross-sectional study. Obesity measurements included BMI, WC, WHtR, ABSI and BRI. According to the statistical distribution of serum uric acid (SUA), we split our study population in sex-specific tertiles of SUA. Results: After adjusting for confounding variables, BRI (linear regression: 0.170; AUC: 0.641; OR: 1.459) showed more powerful predictive ability for hyperuricemia than BMI (linear regression: 0.151; AUC: 0.630; OR: 1.108), while having a similar predictive power for hyperuricemia as WHtR (linear regression: 0.191; AUC: 0.656; OR: 1.067) and WC (linear regression: 0.209; AUC: 0.658; OR: 1.047) in the female group, but not in the male group. However, ABSI (A) (linear regression: 0.089 for women, 0.121 for men; AUC: 0.589 for women, 0.578 for men; OR: 1.027 for women, 1.034 for men) and ABSI (B) (linear regression: 0.118 for women, 0.121 for men; AUC: 0.607 for women, 0.578 for men; OR: 1.049 for women, 1.034 for men) had the lowest predictive power for hyperuricemia in both sex categories. Conclusions: ABSI, BRI, BMI, WC and WHtR were all significantly associated with hyperuricemia in both sexes. In addition, BRI rather than ABSI showed a superior predictive ability for identifying hyperuricemia than BMI in female and similar capabilities as those of WC and WHtR in the female, but not in the male gender.

Capacity of a body shape index and body roundness index to identify diabetes mellitus in Han Chinese people in Northeast China: A cross-sectional study.

Article Type: Research article
Journal: Diabetic Medicine 2018;35:1580–1587.
Authors: Zhao Q, Zhang K, Li Y, Zhen Q, Shi J, Yu Y, Tao Y, Cheng Y, and Liu Y.

Background: To assess the capacity of a body shape index and body roundness index to identify people with diabetes mellitus and those with prediabetes, and to determine whether a body shape index and/or body roundness index is superior to the traditional overall adiposity index, BMI, in Han Chinese people in Northeast China. Methods: A total of 15 078 participants were enrolled from Jilin province in 2012 using a multi-stage stratified random cluster sampling method. Demographic data were collected, and anthropometric indices and biochemical indices were measured. Receiver-operating characteristic curves were used to compare the validity of each anthropometric index, and the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve was calculated for each anthropometric index. Results: Body roundness index had the highest areas under the receiver-operating curve for prediabetes, diagnosed diabetes and undiagnosed diabetes in both men and women (all P<0.01). The optimum threshold values for body roundness index for prediabetes, undiagnosed diabetes and diagnosed diabetes, respectively, were 2.8, 3.7 and 3.3 in men, and 3.4, 3.8 and 3.6 in women. The cumulative proportions of prediabetes, undiagnosed diabetes and diagnosed diabetes identified by the optimum threshold values of body roundness index were 79.2%, 67.5% and 77.0% (82.3%, 62.5% and 75.3% in men; 74.6%, 74.9% and 78.3% in women), respectively. Conclusions: BMI, a body shape index and body roundness index may identify the presence of diabetes. Among the three anthropometric indices, BMI had the weakest association with diabetes. Body roundness index is an alternative index for assessing diabetes in Han Chinese people in Northeast China.

New anthropometric indices or old ones: which perform better in estimating cardiovascular risks in Chinese adults.

Article Type: Research article
Journal: BMC Cardiovascular Disorders 2018;18:14.
Authors: Wang F, Chen Y, Chang Y, Sun G, and Sun Y.

Background: Various anthropometric indices can be used to estimate obesity, and it is important to determine which one is the best in predicting the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and to define the optimal cut-off point for the best index. Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated a consecutive sample of 11,247 adults, who had lived in rural areas of China and were older than 35 years of age. Eight obesity indices, including the body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), abdominal volume index (AVI), body adiposity index (BAI), body roundness index (BRI) and a body shape index (ABSI) were investigated. The risk of CHD was evaluated by the 10-year coronary event risk (Framingham risk score). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were used to evaluate the predictive ability of the obesity indices for CHD risk. Results: Of the whole population, 3636 (32.32%) participants had a risk score higher than 10%. Those who suffered medium or high CHD risk were more likely to have higher mean anthropometric indices, except for BMI in males. In the multivariate-adjusted logistic regression, all these anthropometric measurements were statistically associated with CHD risk in males. After adjusting for all the possible confounders, these anthropometric measurements, except for ABSI, remained as independent indicators of CHD risk in females. According to the ROC analyses, ABSI provided the largest area under the curve (AUC) value in males, and BMI showed the lowest AUC value, with AUC varying from 0.52 to 0.60. WHtR and BRI provided the largest AUC value in female, and similarly, BMI showed the lowest AUC value, with AUC varying from 0.59 to 0.70. The optimal cut-off values were as follows: WHtR (females: 0.54), BRI (females: 4.21), and ABSI (males: 0.078). Conclusions: ABSI was the best anthropometric index for estimating CHD risk in males, and WHtR and BRI were the best indicators in females. Males should maintain an ABSI of less than 0.078, and females should maintain a WHtR of less than 0.54 or a BRI of less than 4.21.

Validation of surrogate anthropometric indices in older adults: What is the best indicator of high cardiometabolic risk factor clustering?

Article Type: Research article
Journal: Nutrients 2019;11(8):1701.
Authors:Ramírez-Vélez R, Pérez-Sousa MA, Izquierdo M, Cano-Gutierrez CA, González-Jiménez E, Schmidt-RioValle J, González-Ruíz K, and Correa-Rodríguez M.

The present study evaluated the ability of five obesity-related parameters, including a body shape index (ABSI), conicity index (CI), body roundness index (BRI), body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) for predicting increased cardiometabolic risk in a population of elderly Colombians. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1502 participants (60.3% women, mean age 70 ± 7.6 years) and subjects’ weight, height, waist circumference, serum lipid indices, blood pressure, and fasting plasma glucose were measured. A cardiometabolic risk index (CMRI) was calculated using the participants’ systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein and fasting glucose levels, and waist circumference. Following the International Diabetes Federation definition, metabolic syndrome was defined as having three or more metabolic abnormalities. All surrogate anthropometric indices correlated significantly with CMRI (p < 0.01). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of how well the anthropometric indices identified high cardiometabolic risk showed that WtHR and BRI were the most accurate indices. The best WtHR and BRI cut-off points in men were 0.56 (area under curve, AUC 0.77) and 4.71 (AUC 0.77), respectively. For women, the WtHR and BRI cut-off points were 0.63 (AUC 0.77) and 6.20 (AUC 0.77), respectively. In conclusion, BRI and WtHR have a moderate discriminating power for detecting high cardiometabolic risk in older Colombian adults, supporting the idea that both anthropometric indices are useful screening tools for use in the elderly.