Comparison of visceral and body fat indices and anthropometric measures in relation to untreated hypertension by age and gender among Chinese

Abstract

Background: The aim of the study was to compare the efficiency of bioelectrical indices (percentage body fat, PBF; visceral fat index, VFI) and various anthropometric measures (body mass index, BMI; waist circumference, WC; waist-to-height ratio, WHtR) on determining hypertension in Chinese.

Methods: We conducted the community-based cross-sectional survey during August of 2013 to August of 2015 in 66 sample sites selected by multistage random sampling method from Henan province. 14,364 residents were included in the study.

Results: In both genders, VFI and PBF tended to rise with age. However, for each age-specific group, men consistently had significantly greater VFI than women (all P<0.0001) and women had considerably higher PBF (all P<0.0001). The odds ratios and area under the ROC curves (AUCs) for hypertension associated with adiposity indices decreased with age. In younger (15~34year) men and women, VFI had the highest crude (2.43-7.95) and adjusted (2.40-11.63) odds ratio for hypertension. The AUCs for PBF, VFI and WHtR were significantly larger than those for BMI and WC (all P<0.01). Whereas no statistically significant difference were found in AUCs among PBF, VFI and WHtR (all P>0.10). Additionally, VFI and PBF yielded the greatest Youden index in identifying hypertension in men (0.27) and women (0.34), respectively. Optimal cutoffs for VFI/PBF were 11.70/24.45 and 7.55/33.65 in men and women, respectively.

Conclusions: VFI and PBF could be better candidates for identifying hypertension in men and women, respectively. Adolescents and young adults should be highlighted in preventing hypertension by control of excess body and visceral fat.

Keywords: Body mass index; Hypertension; Percentage body fat; Visceral fat index; Waist circumference; Waist-to-height ratio.