Appropriate Waist Circumference Cut-Offs to Predict Diabetes in the Korean Population - The Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study

Background: Waist circumference (WC) has been recommended as a screening test to identify individuals at high risk for diabetes. The aim of the present study was to identify the optimal WC cut-off to predict the development of diabetes in non-diabetic Korean subjects. Methods and Results: The Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study is a community-based prospective cohort study of 10,038 individuals over the age of 40, and biennial follow ups were conducted. In the present study 6,206 non-diabetic individuals (2,947 men and 3,259 women) participated. The incidence of diabetes was 22.1 cases/1,000 person-years for men and 17.0 cases/1,000 person-years for women. The incidence rate of diabetes was significantly increased as WC increased in both genders. The sensitivity, specificity, and the distance in the receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that the optimal WC cut-offs to predict diabetes were 85 cm for men and 80 cm for women. Conclusions: WC may serve as a simple, precise marker for individuals who are at risk of developing diabetes. The results suggest that a WC of 85 cm for men and 80 cm for women is an appropriate cut-off to predict diabetes in the Korean population. (Circ J 2010; 74: 1357-1363)