Correlation of body fat distribution and lipid profile in males of the Northwest region of Punjab

ABSTRACT

Background: The prevalence of obesity has substantially increased over the past few decades. Central obesity, in particular, has a major role in the development of various metabolic disturbances including deranged lipid profile which leads to increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Timely assessment of any changes in lipid profile can help the prevention of cardiovascular diseases in obese men. Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of abnormal waist-hip ratio (WHR) with the lipid profile in healthy men. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in the tertiary care center of Amritsar. Two groups of 50 men each of the age group of 20–40 years were enrolled in the study. Group I included men with normal WHR while Group II included men with increased WHR. Lipid profile including cholesterol, triglycerides (TGs), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) was measured by standard methods. Statistical analysis was done by Student’s t-test and correlation was established using correlation coefficient. Results: Evaluation of lipid profile showed that serum cholesterol, TGs, LDL, and VLDL were higher in Group II than in Group I while HDL was lower in Group II than in Group I. Central obesity (WHR) has direct association with deranged lipid profile. Conclusion: It can be concluded that visceral or central obesity has direct correlation with the fasting lipid profile in men of the Northwest region of Punjab and WHR is a more reliable predictor of risk.