Which body measurements best predict health risks in older Chinese people?
Body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratio for prediction of multiple metabolic risk factors in Chinese elderly population
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is less accurate for women than BMI and waist circumference
Common belief is WHtR is superior to BMI for predicting health risks, but this study shows it underperforms for elderly Chinese women despite being widely promoted in health guidelines.
Practical Takeaways
Measure waist circumference—men over 60 in China should aim for <83.5 cm, women <77.5 cm
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is less accurate for women than BMI and waist circumference
Common belief is WHtR is superior to BMI for predicting health risks, but this study shows it underperforms for elderly Chinese women despite being widely promoted in health guidelines.
Practical Takeaways
Measure waist circumference—men over 60 in China should aim for <83.5 cm, women <77.5 cm
Publication
Journal
Scientific Reports
Year
2018
Authors
Zhan Gu, Dong Li, Huayu He, Jianying Wang, Xiaojuan Hu, Peihua Zhang, Yan-Long Hong, Bao-cheng Liu, Lei Zhang, G. Ji
Related Content
Claims (10)
Increased waist circumference is associated with a higher risk of metabolic disease and mortality, independent of total body weight.
For older Chinese men, measuring body mass index, waist size, or waist-to-height ratio all work about equally well to predict if someone has three or more health risks like high blood pressure or diabetes.
For older Chinese women, body mass index and waist size are equally good at predicting multiple health risks, but waist-to-height ratio is slightly less accurate.
For older Chinese men, a BMI of 24.12 is the best threshold to identify those with multiple health risks, while for women, it's 23.53.
For older Chinese men, a waist size of 83.5 cm is the best threshold to spot multiple health risks, while for women, it's 77.5 cm.