Body fat percent by bioelectrical impedance analysis and risk of coronary artery disease among urban men with low rates of obesity: the Indian paradox

Abstract

Objective: To determine the association between body fat percent and prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and coronary risk factors in subjects with low rates of obesity.

Subjects and methods: We randomly selected 850 men, aged 25 to 64 years. The survey methods were questionnaire and bioelectrical impedance analysis for body composition. Subjects were divided into high-fat (n = 357), over-fat (n = 230), normal-fat (n = 200) and under-fat (n = 63) based on criteria of body-fat percent analysis.

Results: The prevalence of CAD and the coronary-risk factors hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes, mellitus and sedentary lifestyle were significantly associated with high and moderate body fat percent despite low body-mass index (23.6+/-4.1 kg/m2). Mean total cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure were significantly associated with high and moderate body fat percent. The prevalence of smoking was weakly but inversely associated with high body-fat percent. Mean HDL cholesterol was positively associated with high body-fat percent. Body mass index was positively associated with high body-fat percent.

Conclusions: High and moderate body-fat-percent subjects were associated with high prevalence of CAD and the coronary-risk factors hypertension, diabetes mellitus, higher body-mass index and sedentary lifestyle.