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. 2014 Sep 16;11(9):9595-606.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph110909595.

Association between waist-to-height ratio, isolated and combined morbidities and C-reactive protein in the elderly: a clinical-epidemiological study

Jousianny Patrício da Silva  1 , Raquel Patrícia Ataíde Lima  2 , Danielle de Carvalho Pereira  3 , Cassia Surama de Oliveira Silva  4 , Maria da Conceiço Rodrigues Gonçalves  5 , Malaquias Batista Filho  6 , Rosália Gouveia Filizola  7 , Ronei Marcos de Moraes  8 , Luiza Sonia Rios Asciutti  9 , Maria José de Carvalho Costa  10
Affiliations

Association between waist-to-height ratio, isolated and combined morbidities and C-reactive protein in the elderly: a clinical-epidemiological study

Jousianny Patrício da Silva et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the association between waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the elderly (considering their most prevalent morbidities and lifestyles), to investigate the relationship between this anthropometric index and the presence of the most prevalent morbidities (isolated or combined), and to identify which morbidities (analyzed individually) would have greater associations with WHtR. This cross-sectional population-based epidemiological study of a stratified sampling comprised 170 elderly individuals between 60 and 90 years of age (both genders). Home visits were used to administer questionnaires and to perform anthropometric measurements and blood collection. The mean patient age was younger than 70 years, with women comprising the majority (69.41%) and with 90% of the patients presenting with inadequate WHtR. Hypertension was the most prevalent morbidity in this cohort (58.52%), and when analyzed in combination, hypertension plus obesity were the most frequently diagnosed morbidities (17.65%). Obesity, which was among the most prevalent comorbidities, was the only comorbidity combined with WHtR (p = 0.0019). Individuals with no morbidities had lower mean WHtR values compared with individuals with at least one morbidity (p = 0.0075). In the multiple linear regression model, it was identified that when individuals had one or more of the most prevalent comorbidities, the mean WHtR increased by 0.0415 (p = 0.0065). A correlation between WHtR and CRP (p = 0.0379) was also verified. Based on the relationships observed between WHtR (isolated or in combination, data unpublished) and CRP among the elderly, WHtR may represent a screening tool because it is a simple and effective anthropometric index.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mean WHtR values between the individuals without morbidities and those with 1 or more morbidities.
Figure 2
Figure 2
WHtR values for males and females. Wilcoxon test for the comparison of the means; p < 0.05.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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