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. 1993 Feb;17(2):77-82.

A new index of abdominal adiposity as an indicator of risk for cardiovascular disease. A cross-population study

R Valdez  1 , J C Seidell, Y I Ahn, K M Weiss
Affiliations
  • PMID: 8384168

A new index of abdominal adiposity as an indicator of risk for cardiovascular disease. A cross-population study

R Valdez et al. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1993 Feb.

Abstract

A new index of abdominal adiposity, the conicity index, and the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were compared as health indicators in seven European populations and two USA populations. The total sample included 1280 men and 960 women. Abdominal adiposity as detected by these indices is significantly associated with more cardiovascular risk indicators among women than it is among men. Both indices are equivalent as health indicators. However, the conicity index has several advantages over the WHR: (i) it has a theoretical (expected) range; (ii) it includes a built-in adjustment of waist circumference for height and weight, allowing direct comparisons of abdominal adiposity between individuals or even between populations; and (iii) it does not require the hip circumference to assess fat distribution.

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Comment in

  • The conicity index.
    Stevens J, Plankey MW. Stevens J, et al. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1993 Dec;17(12):727. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1993. PMID: 8118479 No abstract available.

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