Is there any value to measuring waist circumference?
Redberg: Yes, I think so. We should start using things that are easily accessible such as BMI, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio. Waist circumference has been proven in studies to predict cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. In particular, the “apple shape” is associated with metabolic syndrome, meaning a waist circumference of greater than 88 cm in women and greater than 102 cm in men having a very high association. The waist-hip ratio can also be helpful; a ratio greater than 0.85 in women and greater than 0.95 in men is predictive of metabolic syndrome. Pepine: In your clinic, do you routinely get a BMI or waist circumference for each patient? Thadani: We weigh the patient and measure height, but we do not routinely measure waist circumference or calculate BMI. While there is a good correlation between BMI and waist circumference, I don’t think there is a clearly defined association. Waist circumference is not used for defining obesity; we are talking about the de
