He X, et al. - Researchers used data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to evaluate the correlation between overweight without central obesity and risks of mortality. Enrollees were categorized into seven anthropometric groups based on their body mass index and waist circumference. Findings illustrated that overweight without central obesity exhibited a connection with cardiovascular risk factors and a high cardiovascular risk in men. Nevertheless, a lower mortality risk was discovered among men in this anthropometric group.

Methods

• Researchers incorporated 14,299 subjects who took part in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (from October 18, 1988, through October 15, 1994).
• The correlation between cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, or hypercholesterolemia) and 10-year cardiovascular risk to anthropometric groups were measured via logistic regression models.
• Using Cox proportional hazards models, the risk of all-cause mortality was evaluated.
• For computing the cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality, competing-risks regression models were used.

Results

• Overweight men without central obesity exhibited a greater likelihood of having all three cardiovascular risk factors and a high cardiovascular risk vs those with normal body mass index and waist circumference.
• On the other hand, hypercholesterolemia was more likely for women in this anthropometric group.
• As per the proportional hazards models, a connection was found between overweight without central obesity and lower all-cause mortality among men in the population with cardiovascular risk factors (hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56-0.89; P=.004) and the general population (hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.60-0.87; P=.001).
• Results of these comparisons among women were not significant (P > .05).
• Overweight men without central obesity presented a lower risk of non-cardiovascular mortality, but not cardiovascular mortality, in competing risk analyses.