Relationship between waist circumference and supine abdominal height measured at different anatomical sites and cardiometabolic risk factors in older women.

OBJECTIVES

To measure waist circumference (WC) and supine abdominal height (SAH) at different anatomic sites and to assess the relationship with cardiometabolic risk factors in women aged >60 years.

METHODS

The present study included 113 women from Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The evaluations comprised anthropometric, biochemical and haemodynamic measurements. Different anatomical sites were used to measure WC: (i) the midpoint between the last rib and iliac crest; (ii) umbilical level; (iii) immediately above the iliac crests; and (iv) the narrowest point between the last rib and the iliac crest. Measurements were also taken at different anatomic sites for SAH: (i) the midpoint between the iliac crests; (ii) umbilical level; (iii) higher abdominal diameter; and (iv) the narrowest point between the last rib and the iliac crest.

RESULTS

It was found that 35.4% of women were overweight, and the area (SE) body mass index was 25.8 (4.2) kg/m(2). WC at the umbilical level [area (SE) area under the curve (AUC) = 0.694 (0.079)] and SAH at the midpoint between the iliac crests [AUC = 0.747 (0.076)] showed the largest areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (P < 0.05) with respect to the identification of cardiometabolic risk factors associated with the metabolic syndrome (MS) where, of the two measures, SAH showed the greatest predictive potential.

CONCLUSIONS

The results obtained in the present study suggest that, for the assessment of older women, the umbilical level and the midpoint between the iliac crests should used to measure WC and SAH, respectively. SAH showed the greatest predictive power for cardiometabolic risk factors associated with the MS in older women.