Waist circumference is a risk factor for mortality in older adults and this risk is not affected by body mass index (BMI). This has been revealed by a large cohort study reported in the August issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
The study included 48,500 men and 56,343 women, aged at least 50 years.
Risk for mortality was more than doubled for very high levels of WC after adjustment for BMI and other risk factors.
Among men, relative risk (RR) of mortality was 2.02 circumference 120 cm or larger when compared with less than 90 cm. Among women a waist circumference of 110 cm or larger had a relative risk of 2.36compared with less than 75 cm.
Limitations of this study
- Reliance on self-report and measurement
- Observational design
- Confounding by factors associated with both larger waist circumference higher mortality
- Low generalizability because study participants were 50 years or older, and nearly all were white.
