Waist-to-Height Ratio – Reference Values and Associations with Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Russian Adult Population

Kamila Kholmatova,1– 3 Alexandra Krettek,1,4,5 Irina V Dvoryashina,3 Sofia Malyutina,6,7 Sarah Cook,8 Ekaterina Avdeeva,6 Alexander V Kudryavtsev2 1Department of Community Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway; 2International Research Competence Centre, Northern State Medical...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kholmatova K, Krettek A, Dvoryashina IV, Malyutina S, Cook S, Avdeeva E, Kudryavtsev AV
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Dove Medical Press 2025-08-01
Series:Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.dovepress.com/waist-to-height-ratio--reference-values-and-associations-with-cardiova-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-DMSO
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849402922755948544
author Kholmatova K
Krettek A
Dvoryashina IV
Malyutina S
Cook S
Avdeeva E
Kudryavtsev AV
author_facet Kholmatova K
Krettek A
Dvoryashina IV
Malyutina S
Cook S
Avdeeva E
Kudryavtsev AV
author_sort Kholmatova K
collection DOAJ
description Kamila Kholmatova,1– 3 Alexandra Krettek,1,4,5 Irina V Dvoryashina,3 Sofia Malyutina,6,7 Sarah Cook,8 Ekaterina Avdeeva,6 Alexander V Kudryavtsev2 1Department of Community Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway; 2International Research Competence Centre, Northern State Medical University, Arkhangelsk, Russia; 3Department of Hospital Therapy and Endocrinology, Northern State Medical University, Arkhangelsk, Russia; 4Department of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden; 5Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; 6Scientific Research Institute of Internal and Preventive Medicine, Branch of Federal Research Centre Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia; 7Department of Therapy, Hematology and Transfusiology, Novosibirsk State Medical University, Novosibirsk, Russia; 8School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UKCorrespondence: Kamila Kholmatova, Department of Community Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, PO Box 6050, Langnes, NO-9037, Tromsø, Norway, Email kkholmatova@mail.ruPurpose: Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is an anthropometric index with limited data on its population distribution. The aim was to establish WHtR reference values and investigate WHtR associations with socio-demographic, lifestyle and clinical characteristics in Russian adults.Methods: We used data from the population-based cross-sectional Know Your Heart study (2015– 2018, Arkhangelsk and Novosibirsk, N = 4495, 58.1% of women, 35– 69 years, mean age 54.0). Age-adjusted WHtR reference values for the total study population and by sex were modeled as marginal 5th-95th percentiles (P5-P95) through quantile regressions. WHtR associations with cardiovascular biomarkers were assessed using linear regressions.Results: The conventional WHtR threshold of 0.5 for abdominal obesity was the value of P25, while P50 and P75 values were 0.54 and 0.60. In ages 35– 49 years, P5-P50 values were higher in men. In the age group 60– 69 years, P25-P95 values were higher in women. In both sexes, WHtR was associated with age, city of residence, not having university education and low physical activity; in women – with poor financial situation, in men – with being married, non-smoking and hazardous drinking. Among clinical parameters, C-reactive protein had the strongest positive association with WHtR in both sexes, while HDL cholesterol had the strongest negative association. Each standard deviation (SD) change in ln-transformed C-reactive protein was associated with 0.435 and 0.321 SD increase in WHtR in women and men, respectively. One SD increase in HDL cholesterol was associated with − 0.334 SD change in WHtR in women and with corresponding change of − 0.297 SD in men. In women, WHtR had stronger associations with age, university education, poor financial situation, blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, and ln-transformed C-reactive protein, in men – with being married, current smoking, LDL and non-HDL cholesterol, and HbA1c.Conclusion: Three-quarters of the study population had WHtR values exceeding the conventional threshold for abdominal obesity. Men and women differed in the WHtR associations with socio-demographic and lifestyle risk factors, biomarkers of inflammation, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. WHtR is a useful cardiovascular risk indicator in a Russian adult population.Keywords: waist-to-height ratio, reference values, obesity, Russia
format Article
id doaj-art-bbd69f87a9814e71b100c75b62d8d94f
institution Kabale University
issn 1178-7007
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Dove Medical Press
record_format Article
series Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity
spelling doaj-art-bbd69f87a9814e71b100c75b62d8d94f2025-08-20T03:37:23ZengDove Medical PressDiabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity1178-70072025-08-01Volume 18Issue 126412653105375Waist-to-Height Ratio – Reference Values and Associations with Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Russian Adult PopulationKholmatova K0Krettek A1Dvoryashina IV2Malyutina S3Cook S4Avdeeva E5Kudryavtsev AV6Department of Community MedicineDepartment of Community MedicineDepartment of Hospital Therapy and EndocrinologyScientific Research Institute of Internal and Preventive MedicineSchool of Public HealthScientific Research Institute of Internal and Preventive MedicineInternational Research Competence CentreKamila Kholmatova,1– 3 Alexandra Krettek,1,4,5 Irina V Dvoryashina,3 Sofia Malyutina,6,7 Sarah Cook,8 Ekaterina Avdeeva,6 Alexander V Kudryavtsev2 1Department of Community Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway; 2International Research Competence Centre, Northern State Medical University, Arkhangelsk, Russia; 3Department of Hospital Therapy and Endocrinology, Northern State Medical University, Arkhangelsk, Russia; 4Department of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden; 5Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; 6Scientific Research Institute of Internal and Preventive Medicine, Branch of Federal Research Centre Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia; 7Department of Therapy, Hematology and Transfusiology, Novosibirsk State Medical University, Novosibirsk, Russia; 8School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UKCorrespondence: Kamila Kholmatova, Department of Community Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, PO Box 6050, Langnes, NO-9037, Tromsø, Norway, Email kkholmatova@mail.ruPurpose: Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is an anthropometric index with limited data on its population distribution. The aim was to establish WHtR reference values and investigate WHtR associations with socio-demographic, lifestyle and clinical characteristics in Russian adults.Methods: We used data from the population-based cross-sectional Know Your Heart study (2015– 2018, Arkhangelsk and Novosibirsk, N = 4495, 58.1% of women, 35– 69 years, mean age 54.0). Age-adjusted WHtR reference values for the total study population and by sex were modeled as marginal 5th-95th percentiles (P5-P95) through quantile regressions. WHtR associations with cardiovascular biomarkers were assessed using linear regressions.Results: The conventional WHtR threshold of 0.5 for abdominal obesity was the value of P25, while P50 and P75 values were 0.54 and 0.60. In ages 35– 49 years, P5-P50 values were higher in men. In the age group 60– 69 years, P25-P95 values were higher in women. In both sexes, WHtR was associated with age, city of residence, not having university education and low physical activity; in women – with poor financial situation, in men – with being married, non-smoking and hazardous drinking. Among clinical parameters, C-reactive protein had the strongest positive association with WHtR in both sexes, while HDL cholesterol had the strongest negative association. Each standard deviation (SD) change in ln-transformed C-reactive protein was associated with 0.435 and 0.321 SD increase in WHtR in women and men, respectively. One SD increase in HDL cholesterol was associated with − 0.334 SD change in WHtR in women and with corresponding change of − 0.297 SD in men. In women, WHtR had stronger associations with age, university education, poor financial situation, blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, and ln-transformed C-reactive protein, in men – with being married, current smoking, LDL and non-HDL cholesterol, and HbA1c.Conclusion: Three-quarters of the study population had WHtR values exceeding the conventional threshold for abdominal obesity. Men and women differed in the WHtR associations with socio-demographic and lifestyle risk factors, biomarkers of inflammation, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. WHtR is a useful cardiovascular risk indicator in a Russian adult population.Keywords: waist-to-height ratio, reference values, obesity, Russiahttps://www.dovepress.com/waist-to-height-ratio--reference-values-and-associations-with-cardiova-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-DMSOwaist-to-height ratioreference valuesobesityRussia
spellingShingle Kholmatova K
Krettek A
Dvoryashina IV
Malyutina S
Cook S
Avdeeva E
Kudryavtsev AV
Waist-to-Height Ratio – Reference Values and Associations with Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Russian Adult Population
Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity
waist-to-height ratio
reference values
obesity
Russia
title Waist-to-Height Ratio – Reference Values and Associations with Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Russian Adult Population
title_full Waist-to-Height Ratio – Reference Values and Associations with Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Russian Adult Population
title_fullStr Waist-to-Height Ratio – Reference Values and Associations with Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Russian Adult Population
title_full_unstemmed Waist-to-Height Ratio – Reference Values and Associations with Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Russian Adult Population
title_short Waist-to-Height Ratio – Reference Values and Associations with Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Russian Adult Population
title_sort waist to height ratio amp ndash reference values and associations with cardiovascular risk factors in a russian adult population
topic waist-to-height ratio
reference values
obesity
Russia
url https://www.dovepress.com/waist-to-height-ratio--reference-values-and-associations-with-cardiova-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-DMSO
work_keys_str_mv AT kholmatovak waisttoheightratioampndashreferencevaluesandassociationswithcardiovascularriskfactorsinarussianadultpopulation
AT kretteka waisttoheightratioampndashreferencevaluesandassociationswithcardiovascularriskfactorsinarussianadultpopulation
AT dvoryashinaiv waisttoheightratioampndashreferencevaluesandassociationswithcardiovascularriskfactorsinarussianadultpopulation
AT malyutinas waisttoheightratioampndashreferencevaluesandassociationswithcardiovascularriskfactorsinarussianadultpopulation
AT cooks waisttoheightratioampndashreferencevaluesandassociationswithcardiovascularriskfactorsinarussianadultpopulation
AT avdeevae waisttoheightratioampndashreferencevaluesandassociationswithcardiovascularriskfactorsinarussianadultpopulation
AT kudryavtsevav waisttoheightratioampndashreferencevaluesandassociationswithcardiovascularriskfactorsinarussianadultpopulation