BMI not the only reliable indicator of heart disease

Waist-to-hip ratio may be a stronger indicator of some cardiovascular illnesses than the commonly-used measure BMI, according to a new UCL-led study. Previous research has concentrated on the relationship between BMI and risk of cardiovascular illnesses. However, the large collaborative study, published today in Circulation, finds waist-to-hip ratio may be a stronger predictor of health issues such as coronary heart disease and stroke. Researchers looked at multiple genetic variants linked to BMI and waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI, as a measure of obesity and central body fat in up to 229,000 people. They found a clear causal relationship between increased BMI and central body fat with higher risks of coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The results also suggest that central body fat may have a stronger effect on stroke risk than BMI, but both measurements should be taken into account when estimating the impact of fat distribution on health. 'While BMI is a successful indicator of risk for some diseases, we found waist-to-hip ratio may be a better indicator of risk for other diseases, especially stroke.