Body mass, fat distribution and cardiovascular risk factors in a lean population of South China

The associations of body mass index and abdominal adiposity, represented by an elevated waist/hip circumference ratio, with cardiovascular risk factors were examined in men and women, aged 28-69 years, from urban and rural areas of Guangzhou, China. Mean body mass index ranged from 20.1 to 21.9 kg/m² across the four sex- and area-groups. Mean waist/hip ratio was 0.84 in men and 0.80 in women. After accounting for age and body mass index, waist/hip ratio was associated negatively (p < 0.05) with fasting serum HDL cholesterol (both sexes), and positively with serum triglycerides (both sexes), total and LDL cholesterol (men only), uric acid (both sexes), glucose (women only), and mean systolic blood pressure (women only). Body mass index was associated in a similar direction with most of these risk factors. These data confirm that abdominal adiposity is independently associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors, even in a lean Asian population.