Wenning Fu1, Shiyi Cao1, Bing Liu2, Haibin Li3, Fujian Song4, Yong Gan1, Wenzhen Li1, Sampson Opoku1, Shijiao Yan1, Wei Yue5, Feng Yan6, Chao Wang1, Hui Li1, Qiaoyan Liu1, Xiaojun Wang1, Zhihong Wang7, Zuxun Lu1. 1. Department of Social Medicine and Health Managemant of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan. 2. Center of Health Administration and Development Studies, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan. 3. Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. 4. Norwich Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. 5. Department of Neurology, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, Tianjin. 6. Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital medical University, Beijing. 7. Department of Neurosurgery, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The American Heart Association concluded that waist circumference was a better predictor of blood pressure risk than BMI in Asians. However, data are inconsistent and information in Chinese, the largest global population group, is limited. METHODS: Data was obtained from the Chinese National Stroke Prevention Project Survey of a nationally representative sample of middle-aged and older Chinese adults. A total of 135 825 individuals not taking any antihypertensive drugs were included in this study. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between blood pressure and parameters of general adiposity, including BMI, height-adjusted weight, and parameters of central adiposity, including waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-hip ratio, and waist-height ratio. Results were shown as mean difference in blood pressure associated with one standard deviation higher level of adiposity. RESULTS: The overall means ± standard deviation of BMI and waist circumference were 24.3 ± 3.18 kg/m and 84.0 ± 8.88 cm, respectively. BMI seemed more strongly associated with SBP/DBP (4.22 mmHg/SD; 2.60 mmHg/SD) than central adiposity markers. In addition, there were sex differences. For men, waist circumference showed a stronger association with SBP/DBP than BMI (4.04 vs. 3.79, P < 0.05; 2.26 vs. 2.13, P < 0.05). For women, BMI was more closely related to SBP/DBP than central adiposity parameters, such as waist circumference (4.59 vs. 3.41, P < 0.05; 2.98 vs. 2.24, P < 0.05). Additionally, in both urban and rural areas, waist circumference was mostly associated with SBP/DBP among men, whereas it was BMI among women. CONCLUSION: Compared with central adiposity, blood pressure is more strongly associated with general adiposity in Chinese adults. Interestingly, there are significant sex differences in the relationship of blood pressure with general and central adiposity. Waist circumference is the strongest predictor for men but suboptimal for women, and BMI tend to a better predictor of blood pressure for women. In addition, our results for men are consistent with the recommendation of the American Heart Association in 2015 that waist circumference could be used for assessing the risk of blood pressure.
BACKGROUND: The American Heart Association concluded that waist circumference was a better predictor of blood pressure risk than BMI in Asians. However, data are inconsistent and information in Chinese, the largest global population group, is limited. METHODS: Data was obtained from the Chinese National Stroke Prevention Project Survey of a nationally representative sample of middle-aged and older Chinese adults. A total of 135 825 individuals not taking any antihypertensive drugs were included in this study. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between blood pressure and parameters of general adiposity, including BMI, height-adjusted weight, and parameters of central adiposity, including waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-hip ratio, and waist-height ratio. Results were shown as mean difference in blood pressure associated with one standard deviation higher level of adiposity. RESULTS: The overall means ± standard deviation of BMI and waist circumference were 24.3 ± 3.18 kg/m and 84.0 ± 8.88 cm, respectively. BMI seemed more strongly associated with SBP/DBP (4.22 mmHg/SD; 2.60 mmHg/SD) than central adiposity markers. In addition, there were sex differences. For men, waist circumference showed a stronger association with SBP/DBP than BMI (4.04 vs. 3.79, P < 0.05; 2.26 vs. 2.13, P < 0.05). For women, BMI was more closely related to SBP/DBP than central adiposity parameters, such as waist circumference (4.59 vs. 3.41, P < 0.05; 2.98 vs. 2.24, P < 0.05). Additionally, in both urban and rural areas, waist circumference was mostly associated with SBP/DBP among men, whereas it was BMI among women. CONCLUSION: Compared with central adiposity, blood pressure is more strongly associated with general adiposity in Chinese adults. Interestingly, there are significant sex differences in the relationship of blood pressure with general and central adiposity. Waist circumference is the strongest predictor for men but suboptimal for women, and BMI tend to a better predictor of blood pressure for women. In addition, our results for men are consistent with the recommendation of the American Heart Association in 2015 that waist circumference could be used for assessing the risk of blood pressure.