Background: Cardiovascular disease is a serious problem increasingly affecting young people worldwide. Cardio-metabolic risk factors include lipid profile parameters and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), as well as basic anthropometric parameters such as the ratio of waist circumference to height (WHtR). The aim of our study was to determine WHtR.
Method: WHtR was determined in a group of 500 clinically healthy young people aged 18-25 and, on the basis of measured data, a reference range for WHtR was designed.
Results: The average WHtR value for the whole group was 0.45±0.06, with 0.46±0.06 for men, and 0.44±0.06 for women. WHtR values in respondents with all other parameters in normal range were from 0.41 to 0.52 for men and from 0.38 to 0.50 for women. Values are similar to those observed in other studies across diverse world populations. A positive correlation was observed between WHtR and atherogenic indices (AP1, AIP) uric acid levels and lipid profile parameters at p<0.001, with the exception of glucose and HDL. WHtR and HDL were negatively correlated at p<0.001.
Conclusion: As WHtR can be easily determined, it can be used as another cardio-metabolic risk factor.
Keywords: atherogenic parameters; cardio-metabolic risk; lipid profile; waist circumference to height ratio; young people.
Copyright© by the National Institute of Public Health, Prague 2015.