Seattle Health Blog

A study by the University of Extremadura shows that the waist-height index (ICA) is more suitable than the much more extensive body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference to measure cardiovascular risk. Not only care about the fat, but also where it is situated.

Many medical research are changing the design that was available about abdominal fat. Now, there is just something ugly, when you have too much, much more significant is that it has proved an important cardiovascular risk factor.

In fact, it should be considered, not as an inert mass, but as a true gland which pours into the bloodstream substances harmful to health. And the more volume the more fat you have.

The last contribution in this regard is a thesis done in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Extremadura.

It was performed by Dr. Juan Manuel Urbano Gálvez and directed by Manuel Miranda and Luis Miguel Pérez Pérez Luengo, with support from the Portuguese Ministry of Health.

In the aforementioned study were compared, as indicators of cardiovascular health, the aforementioned ICA (waist circumference / height) with universally used BMI (weight in kilos / height in meters squared). We have also included some other less used, like the simple waist circumference or waist / wrist.

The result of the thesis, which involved carrying 883 individuals, indicates that the ICA is more appropriate than others, and in particular that the IMC, to measure the above risk to health, and circulatory problems depend on abdominal fat , and not the total that may appear in the body. It is also more suitable for any segment of the population, taking into account gender and age.

What practical teaching can be drawn from this study? Perhaps the people at cardiovascular risk group should be used to measure obesity, not kilos, or waist inches, even in the most complete BMI, but in the ICA (an index above 0.5 would be the beginning of risk, more so the higher the index). Thus, if we reduce the obesity, the benefit we get for our health will be measured in meters more than the scale.

Moreover, and in relation to physical exercise, might practice with the help of expert advice, more exercises that reduce waist circumference.

Tags: Cardiovascular Risk, obesity, obesity effect, obesity risk, Overweight, Overweight risk,