ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Body mass index (BMI) is believed to be associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) risks. A major question is whether each BMI category provides independent risk information and whether the BMI categories provide similar results for African-American (AA) men and women relative to lipid, lipoproteins, and blood pressure. METHODS: A descriptive research design was used to evaluate the effects of BMI categories on lipoproteins, lipids, and blood pressure, and to determine if similar CHD risks related to these variables were observed in AA men and women. The 358 (108 men and 250 women; 40-70 year of age) participants were recruited from churches in a southeastern metropolitan area. RESULTS: The results indicate that BMI is positively associated with lipoproteins, lipids, and blood pressure in both AA men and women. Relative risks for CHD were higher for obese (BMI > 30 kg/m(2)) men and women, but the overweight (OW) category provided the same information as the normal weight (NW) category for men, but not for women. CONCLUSIONS: This suggests that the same BMI standards provide different CHD risk information for AA men than for AA women and that gender-specific BMI standards may be warranted for more effective CHD risk stratification in AA adults.
