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A study of the correlation between cardiovascular disease risk factors and obesity based on BMI, WHR, and WC, Isfahan Healthy Heart Program (IHHP)

Roya Derakhshan, Fatemeh Derakhshan, Babak Sabet, Roya Kelishadi, Alireza Khosravi

Introduction
The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between obesity as evaluated by BMI, WHR, and WC as major risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and other CVD risk factors in male and female Iranian subjects.

Materials and methods
As the first phase of a community intervention in Isfahan, Najaf-Abad, and Arak, a sample of 12800 people aged above 19 years was studied between 1999 and 2000. Anthropometric indices and hematological CVD risk factors were measured using standard methods. Kappa correlation between CVD risk factors and obesity, as evaluated by anthropometric indices was evaluated in each sex by SPSS9 software.

Results
Among five CVD risk factors, obesity based on WC indices showed a stronger correlation with CVD risk factors than obesity based on BMI and WHR. Among all CVD risk factors, metabolic syndrome inferred by ATP III showed the strongest correlation with all anthropometric indices.

Discussion
Obesity based on waist indices has the strongest correlation with CVD in the Iranian population. Hence, it is the most conveniently measurable CVD risk factor in the clinical setting and screening.

Key words
Anthropometric, Cardiovascular risk factors, Obesity, Iran