Indigenous Australians have a high prevalence of obesity and an unacceptably high rate of cardiovascular disease.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 93 high-risk indigenous Australians to assess how strongly three anthropometric measures correlated with known cardiovascular risk factors.
Results
Both waist circumference and body mass index were strongly associated with important risk factors. The waist: hip ratio was less useful. Waist circumference was the only measure that significantly correlated with the urine albumin creatinine ratio (ρ = 0.14; P =0.04).
Conclusion
Measuring the waist circumference is a cheap, effective way of monitoring cardiovascular risk.
Australian Bureau of Statistics.3303.0 Causes of death, Australia. Canberra, Australia: ABS; 2002.
2.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. 4715.0 National health survey: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander results. Canberra, Australia: ABS; 2002.
3.
WangZHoyWE.Is the Framingham coronary heart disease absolute risk function applicable to Aboriginal people? Med J Aust2005; 182:66–69.
4.
WelbornTADhaliwalSSBennettSA.Waist-hip ratio is the dominant risk factor predicting cardiovascular death in Australia. Med J Aust2003; 179:580–585.
5.
WangZHoyWE.Waist circumference, body mass index, hip circumference and waist-to-hip ratio as predictors of cardiovascular disease in Aboriginal people. Eur J Clin Nutr2004; 58:888–893.
6.
AnandSSRazakFYiQDavisBJacobsRVuksanV. C-reactive protein as a screening test for cardiovascular risk in a multiethnic population. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol2004; 24:1509–1515.
7.
HoyWMcDonaldSP.Albuminuria: marker or target in indigenous populations. Kidney Int Suppl2004; 66:S25–S31.
8.
Australian Bureau of Statistics.3303.0 Causes of death, Australia. Canberra, Australia: ABS; 2002.
9.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. 4715.0 National health survey: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander results. Canberra, Australia: ABS; 2002.
10.
WangZHoyWE.Is the Framingham coronary heart disease absolute risk function applicable to Aboriginal people? Med J Aust2005; 182:66–69.
11.
WelbornTADhaliwalSSBennettSA.Waist-hip ratio is the dominant risk factor predicting cardiovascular death in Australia. Med J Aust2003; 179:580–585.
12.
WangZHoyWE.Waist circumference, body mass index, hip circumference and waist-to-hip ratio as predictors of cardiovascular disease in Aboriginal people. Eur J Clin Nutr2004; 58:888–893.
13.
AnandSSRazakFYiQDavisBJacobsRVuksanV. C-reactive protein as a screening test for cardiovascular risk in a multiethnic population. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol2004; 24:1509–1515.
14.
HoyWMcDonaldSP.Albuminuria: marker or target in indigenous populations. Kidney Int Suppl2004; 66:S25–S31.
