Introduction: We examined whether waist circumference and waist-to-hip circumference ratio were a better predictor for elevated alanine transaminase level than body mass index.
Methodology: In a cross-sectional survey we examined body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, alcohol consumption, and alanine transaminase level in a random sample of 903 men and women aged 30 to 50 years from The Ebeltoft Health Promotion Project in Denmark.
Results: Body mass index, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio explained an approximate 12% variation in alanine transaminase in men and 4% in women, whereas waist-to-hip circumference ratio explained a 2% variation in women. The risk of elevated alanine transaminase level in men, calculated as odds ratio, with a body mass index (kg/m2) above 30, or a waist circumference above 102 cm, or a waist-to-hip circumference ratio above 0.9 was 9.3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.6-24.1), 5.6 (95% CI, 2.5-12.5) and 2.7 (95% CI, 1.3-5.3) respectively, but there was no elevated risk among women.
Conclusions: Waist circumference and body mass index were both predictors in men. Waist-to-hip ratio was also a predictor in men, but not as strong a predictor as waist circumference and body mass index. No association was found in women. This difference is probably explained by differences in the accumulation of intra-abdominal adipose tissue among men and women with the same degree of obesity.