Several indices of central adiposity, including waist circumference and body adiposity index, are associated with an increased risk for all-cause mortality, according to a review published in The BMJ. Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify the association of indices of central obesity with the risk for all-cause mortality. Seventy-two prospective cohort studies with 2,528,297 participants were included in the final analyses. The summary hazard ratios were 1.11 for waist circumference (10-cm increase); 0.90 for hip circumference (10-cm increase); 0.82 for thigh circumference (5-cm increase); 1.20 for waist-to-hip ratio (0.1-unit increase); 1.24 for waist-to-height ratio (0.1-unit increase); 1.21 for waist-to-thigh ratio (0.1-unit increase); 1.17 for body adiposity index (10% increase); and 1.15 for A body shape (0.005-unit increase). After accounting for body mass index, the positive associations persisted. For men and women, a nearly J-shaped association was found between waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio and the risk for all-cause mortality. For waist-to-hip ratio and A body shape index, the association was positive monotonic. For body adiposity index, the association was U-shaped. “Our results suggest that measures of central adiposity could be used as a supplementary approach, in combination with body mass index, to determine the risk of premature death,” the authors write.
