WAIST TO HIP RATIO AS A RISK FACTOR FOR CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

Abstract

MATERIAL AND METHODS: It was a prospectively designed observational study involving 300 patients, attending cardiology out patient clinic of liaquat National hospital Karachi .The main outcome measure was diagnosis of CAD in the presence of specific risk factor. RESULTS: The mean age of our male patients was 57.35±6.8 and that of our female patients was 51.2±8.2.The mean W-H ratio of our male subjects was 0.98±0.19, where as in females it was 0.85±0.14.The W-H ratio was increased in 81%(134) of our male subjects and36%(50) of our female subjects ( p- 0.001). The W-H ratio was abnormally increased in 65 % of patients with CAD, whereas only 34% of our patients with normal W-H ratio were diagnosed to have CAD. Using Pearson's chi-square test, the p-value is 0.015 that is significant. It indicates the association between W-H ratio and CAD. The relative risk of CAD is approximately twice in the group with increased W-H ratio than among normal W-H ratio group. Only 18% of males and 63% of females had normal W-H ratio. CONCLUSION: Abdominal obesity assessed clinically by waist to hip ratio is appearing as risk factor for CAD. The recognition of abdominal obesity is important, as lifestyle intervention is likely to provide significant health benefits.