Waist-to-height ratio more accurate in predicting heart disease risk than BMI

While obesity is a known risk factor for heart disease, a new study showed that the ratio of a person’s waist measurement compared to their height is more reliable than body mass index (BMI) at predicting the risk.

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The finding, published in The Lancet Regional Health-Americas, could reshape how clinicians and the public assess cardiovascular risk, especially for people who don’t meet the classic definition of obesity.

“Higher BMI, waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratio at baseline were all associated with higher risk of developing future cardiovascular disease —until we adjusted for other classic risk factors, such as age, sex, smoking, exercise, diabetes, hypertension, and cholesterol,” said lead author Thiago Bosco Mendes, from the University of Pittsburgh, US.