Scientists have acknowledged that the "hypertriglyceridemic waist" phenotype is a cheap and simple way to identify glucose intolerant or diabetic patients at high risk of coronary artery disease (CAD).
The "hypertriglyceridemic waist" phenotype consists of a waist wider than 90 cm in men and 85 cm in women, along with a plasma triglyceride concentration of 2.0 mol/l (177 mg/dl) or over.
Julie St-Pierre (Montreal University, Quebec, Canada) and team assessed glucose levels using the American Diabetes Association criteria and measured waist circumferences in 1190 adults who visited Chicoutimi Hopsital for cardiovascular risk evaluation.
They found that the "hypertriglyceridemic waist" phenotype was seen in 103 (53%) men and 122 (80%) women with either glucose intolerance (glycemia>7.8 mmol/l) or Type 2 diabetes.
Additionally, these individuals experienced CAD symptoms 5 years earlier than those without the "hypertriglyceridemic waist" phenotype, with a statistically significant hazard ratio of 2.0.
The scientists say that this is "concordant with the notion that a 'hypertriglyceridemic waist' could be considered a predictor of early CAD."
They add that National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria better predicted diabetes if a 94 cm waist circumference cut-off point was used for both men and women.
"Therefore, we believe that 90 cm better discriminated those at risk of developing insulin resistance and ultimately diabetes in occidental and industrialized countries," say the authors.
They add, however, that the cut-off point may differ from one population to another.
In the American Journal of Cardiology, the researchers conclude that the "hypertriglyceridemic waist" may be considered "one of the cheapest screening tools because most obese or diabetic subjects have their triglyceride levels measured periodically."
The team adds: "We believe that our results have clearly demonstrated that the 'hypertriglyceridemic waist' phenotype better discriminates patients at high risk of CAD, especially in the presence of glucose intolerance or Type 2 diabetes."
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