Evaluating CMR

Prevalence of hypertriglyceridemic waist

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Prevalence data from a representative sample of adults of the province of Quebec aged 18 to 74 (Québec Health Survey) has enabled the number of men with hypertriglyceridemic waist in Quebec to be quantified (10). Study results indicated that 19% of adult men in the Québec Health Survey had an elevated waist circumference (≥90 cm) and hypertriglyceridemia (≥2.0 mmol/l) (10). This percentage increased to 29.2% in the subgroup of men aged 40 to 65. Though different cutoffs were used, the prevalence of this phenotype was similar (19%) in the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study, which involved more than 4,000 men (13). The prevalence of hypertriglyceridemic waist was also quantified in a sample of 4,448 men and 4,735 women from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) (18). In this study, Kahn and Valdez (18) found that, irrespective of sex, the estimated prevalence of the simultaneous presence of an elevated waist circumference and increased triglyceride levels was about 25%. They also found that the estimated prevalence of this phenotype increased with age and was higher (>40%) in men and women aged 55 to 74. A recent publication from the “SUpplémentation en VItamines et Minéraux Anti-oXydants” (SU.VI.MAX) study also revealed that 12.1% of their sample of middle-aged men had hypertriglyceridemic waist (16). Since obesity, especially abdominal obesity, is fast increasing (25), the prevalence of hypertriglyceridemic waist is expected to follow suit. With overweight/obesity in countries such as Canada, Australia, and the United States already afflicting 50% of the population, hypertriglyceridemic waist would allow physicians to focus on the subgroup of overweight/obese patients (with hypertriglyceridemic waist) at greatest risk of type 2 diabetes and CHD, rather than treating half their patients as a blanket measure.

Reference

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10. Lemieux I, Alméras N, Mauriège P, et al. Prevalence of "hypertriglyceridemic waist" in men who participated in the Quebec Health Survey: association with atherogenic and diabetogenic metabolic risk factors. Can J Cardiol 2002; 18: 725-32.

13. Solati M, Ghanbarian A, Rahmani M, et al. Cardiovascular risk factors in males with hypertriglycemic waist (Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study). Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2004; 28: 706-9.

16. Czernichow S, Bruckert E, Bertrais S, et al. Hypertriglyceridemic waist and 7.5-year prospective risk of cardiovascular disease in asymptomatic middle-aged men. Int J Obes (Lond) 2007; 31: 791-6.

18. Kahn HS and Valdez R. Metabolic risks identified by the combination of enlarged waist and elevated triacylglycerol concentration. Am J Clin Nutr 2003; 78: 928-34.

25. Ford ES, Mokdad AH and Giles WH. Trends in waist circumference among U.S. adults. Obes Res 2003; 11: 1223-31.

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