A Body Shape Index versus Traditional Anthropometric Parameters to Identify Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Perimenopausal/Menopausal Women

Abstract

Background: The body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) are well-used anthropometric predictors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but their validity is regularly questioned. Recently, A body shape index (ABSI) was introduced as an alternative anthropometric index that may better reflect health status.

Objective: To assess the ability of ABSI to identify a marker of early atherosclerosis using carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and determine whether it is superior to traditional anthropometrics: BMI, WC, and WHR.

Material and method: This is a cross-sectional study of 114 participants, aged 40 to 80 years, recruited from the cardiovascular clinic and menopausal clinic between February 2015 and January 2016. CIMTs were measured using B-mode ultrasonography. The novel ABSI, both ABSI [American (A) and Asian or Indonesia formula (I)] and traditional anthropometric parameters (BMI, WC, and WHR) were measured. Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were assessed in the entire population.

Results: There was 114 participants with mean age of 53.75±9.92 years and mean CIMT of 0.70±0.15 mm. The prevalence of abnormal CIMT was 22.3%. ABSI (A), ABSI (I), and BMI were significantly different between normal and atherosclerotic CIMT ≥0.9 mm (p<0.001). Both ABSI (A) and ABSI (I) were correlated with atherosclerosis (r = 0.211, p = 0.024), (r = 0.188, p = 0.046) but there was no correlation with mean CIMT. The anthropometric parameters WC and WHR were correlated with mean CIMT, however they had no correlation with atherosclerosis. Only the traditional anthropometrics BMI was not correlated with CIMT or atherosclerosis.

Conclusion: ABSI (A) and ABSI (I) could predict the presence of early atherosclerosis but have no correlation with mean CIMT, as opposed to the anthropometric indices WC and WHR.