Correlations between obesity indices and cardiometabolic risk factors in obese subgroups in women with severe obesity: A multicenter, cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND

To investigate associations between degrees of obesity using correlations between obesity indices and cardiometabolic risk factors in women.

METHODS

BMI, waist circumference (WC), fasting insulin, fasting glucose, lipids, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) area using computed tomographic images were measured in 113 women with obesity. Correlations between obesity indices and cardiometabolic risk factors were analyzed in subgroups defined using sequential obesity indices.

RESULTS

Mean BMI and WC were 29.6kg/m2 and 92.8cm. BMI showed significant correlations with all five cardiometabolic risk factors until the BMI cut-off point reached 29kg/m2, but when it exceeded 30kg/m2, correlations no longer existed. WC was significantly correlated with all five cardiometabolic risk factors up to a value of 85cm, but when WC exceeded 90cm, correlations no longer existed.

CONCLUSIONS

Our cross-sectional study suggest that significant correlations between obesity indices and cardiometabolic risk factors may disappear, when obesity cut-off points exceed certain limits in women.