ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) are the most commonly measured anthropometric parameters given their association with cardiovascular risk factors (RFs). The relationship between percentage body fat (%BF) and cardiovascular risk has not been extensively studied. AIMS: This study evaluated %BF and its relationship with cardiometabolic RFs in healthy subjects and compared these findings with the relationship between BMI/ WC and cardiovascular RFs. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 99 males and 83 females (mean age 38 ± 10 years) evaluated in a preventive cardiology program. All subjects completed a survey about RFs and lifestyle habits. Anthropometric parameters, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting lipid profile, and blood glucose were collected. Body fat was determined using four skinfold measurements. Fat mass index (FMI) was also calculated. RESULTS: Percentage body fat was significantly and directly associated with total cholesterol (R(2)=0.11), triglycerides (R(2)=0.14), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (R(2)=0.16), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (R(2)=0.24), fasting blood glucose (R(2)=0.16), SBP (R(2)=0.22), and DBP (R(2)=0.13) (p<0.001 for all) and inversely related to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (R(2)=0.32; p<0.001). When the models of %BF, FMI, WC, and BMI were compared, all of them were significantly related to the same cardiometabolic RFs and the clustering of them. CONCLUSION: Percentage body fat and FMI were significantly associated with biochemical variables and to the clustering of RFs. However, these associations were similar but not better than WC and BMI.
Introducción: El índice de masa corporal (IMC) y la circunferencia de cintura (CC) son los parámetros antropométricos que se miden con mayor frecuencia dada su asociación con los factores de riesgo cardiovascular (RC). La relación entre el porcentaje de grasa corporal (%GC) y el riesgo cardiovascular no se ha estudiado ampliamente. Objetivo: Evaluar el %GC y su relación con los FR cardiometabólico en sujetos sanos y comparar estos resultados con la relación IMC/CC y FR cardiovascular Métodos: Se realizó un estudio transversal en 99 hombres y 83 mujeres participantes asistentes a un programa de cardiología preventiva (edad 38 ± 10 años). Todos los sujetos completaron una encuesta sobre los FR y hábitos de estilos de vida. Se evaluaron antropométricamente , se les tomo presión arterial sistólica (PAS) y diastólica (PAD), perfil lipídico y glicemia en ayunas. La grasa corporal se determinó a través de cuatro mediciones de pliegues cutáneos. También se calculó el índice de masa grasa (IMG). Resultados: El porcentaje de grasa corporal se asoció significativamente y directamente con el colesterol total (R2=0,11), triglicéridos (R2=0,14), colesterol LDL (R2=0,16), colesterol VLDL (R2=0,24), glicemia (R2=0,16), PAS (R2=0,22) y PAD (R2=0,13) (p.