Waist, waist-height-ratio vs body mass index and the risks of multiple diseases: a cohort study with replication.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Body mass index (BMI) is widely used to assess obesity-related health risks, but waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) are thought to better capture central adiposity and associated disease risk.

Objective

To compare the associations of BMI, WC, and WHtR with the risk of 78 incident conditions, multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs), and mortality, and to evaluate whether waist-based measures improve risk identification over BMI and, if so, over which BMI range.

Design setting and participants

This cohort study analyzed data from 495,911 adults in the UK Biobank with a mean follow-up of 13.7 years. Findings were replicated in the Whitehall II study (n = 7,973; mean follow-up, 28.6 years).

Exposures

Obesity defined by BMI, WC, and W

SUBMITTER: Ho F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12633129 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature