ASSOCIATION OF WAIST-HIP RATIO WITH DIABETES-MELLITUS - STRENGTH AND POSSIBLE MODIFIERS

OBJECTIVE - To characterize the association between central obesity, as measured by the waist-hip ratio (WHR), and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), considering the effects of sex, age, overall obesity, and family history of diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - Case-control study nested within a community-based survey. We selected 151 subjects with NIDDM and 301 nondiabetic control subjects as a systematic sample of survey screening negative individuals. RESULTS - Odds ratios for NIDDM, comparing a high WHR (greater-than-or-equal-to 0.926 for men, greater-than-or-equal-to 0.83 for women) to a low WHR were 4.72 with a 95% confidence interval of 2.39-9.34, and 2.17 with a 95% confidence interval of 1.03-4.58, for women and men, respectively, controlling for age, overall obesity, and a family history of diabetes. Women with high WHRs in the presence of these risk factors are notably at risk for diabetes. CONCLUSION - Central obesity, as measured by the WHR, is importantly and independently associated with NIDDM.