Waist-to-Height Ratio at Age 10 Predicts Cardiometabolic and Heart Risk
Waist-to-Height Ratio at Age 10 Predicts Cardiometabolic and Heart Risk
Source: Medscape.
Date: May 13, 2025
1. Study Overview:
• A Danish study using data from the COPSAC2010 cohort followed children from birth to age 10.
• Children with a gradually increasing waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) — a marker of central obesity — showed higher risk for cardiometabolic and cardiovascular disease (CVD) by age 10.
2. Key Cardiometabolic Risks Observed:
• High blood pressure
• Elevated triglycerides
• High insulin resistance
• Low HDL cholesterol
• Increased inflammatory biomarkers (e.g., hs-CRP, glycoprotein acetyls)
3. A child’s waist-to-height ratio at age 10 is a strong signal of heart and metabolic health — just as important as how their fat developed over time.
• This measurement may be better than BMI, and works well across all ages, genders, and ethnicities.
4. Why It Matters in Practice:
• Measuring waist-to-height ratio in children regularly can help doctors spot early risks for heart disease and other problems — and take action before it’s too late.
5. Core Conclusion:
• In the study, researchers found that a higher amount of belly fat at age 10 was just as important in predicting heart and metabolic risk as watching how that fat developed over time.
• WHtR may offer a more accurate, practical, and accessible tool than BMI, unaffected by age, sex, or ethnicity.
6. Clinical Implication:
• Routine WHtR measurement in children could enable early identification and intervention to reduce long-term cardiometabolic risk.
7. Expert Commentary:
• Dr. Andrew Agbaje noted WHtR’s superior predictive value for fatty liver, type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and bone fracture in children compared to BMI.
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