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Influence of central obesity on clustering of metabolic syndrome risk variables among normal-weight adults in a low-income rural Chinese population

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Abstract

Aim

This study aimed to examine the influence of central obesity on the clustering patterns of adverse levels of metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk variables among adults with normal weight in a low-income rural Chinese cohort.

Subject and methods

The study cohort consisted of 1,821 adults, aged 35–74 years. Central obesity was defined as a waist to height ratio ≥ 0.5 among adults with normal weight (body mass index = 18.5–24.9). MetS risk variables included blood pressure (BP), fasting triglycerides and glucose, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C).

Results

Centrally obese subjects had significantly higher levels of all the MetS risk variables than those without central obesity. The central obesity group had a higher prevalence of MetS (clustering of three or more variables) than the control group (13.9 vs 5.8%, p < 0.001). Importantly, the cluster of high triglycerides, low HDL-C, and high BP showed the greatest difference (p < 0.001) between the two groups. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, adjusting for age, sex, smoking, and alcohol drinking, the centrally obese group vs the control group was 2.25 times more likely to have MetS (p < 0.01). Among the four types of three variable clusterings, central obesity was significantly associated with the cluster of high triglycerides, low HDL-C, and high BP (odds ratio = 3.51, p < 0.01).

Conclusion

These findings indicate that the central obesity detected by the waist to height ratio plays a pivotal role in the clustering of MetS risk variables among normal-weight Chinese adults, suggesting the importance of prevention of MetS by reducing central obesity in a population with a lower prevalence of obesity.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the grant D200623 from Heilongjiang Province Natural Science Foundation. This research is a joint effort of investigators and staff members from the Department of Cardiology of the First Affiliated Hospital and Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, and Health Bureau and Pingshan Town Hospital, Lanxi. Their contributions are gratefully acknowledged. We especially thank the study participants.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

    Shiying Fu & Yujuan Zhao

  2. Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, 157 Baojian Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150086, China

    Zelin Xiang, Lili Ling, Congju Wang, Jialiang Xu & Jingbo Zhao

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  1. Shiying Fu
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  2. Zelin Xiang
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  3. Yujuan Zhao
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  4. Lili Ling
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  5. Congju Wang
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  6. Jialiang Xu
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  7. Jingbo Zhao
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Correspondence to Jingbo Zhao.

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Fu, S., Xiang, Z., Zhao, Y. et al. Influence of central obesity on clustering of metabolic syndrome risk variables among normal-weight adults in a low-income rural Chinese population. J Public Health 19, 223–229 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-010-0378-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-010-0378-y

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