Waist circumference to height ratio and coronary artery calcification

Background: Many studies have demonstrated that the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is more correlated with coronary artery disease (CAD) than the body mass index (BMI). Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is an independent risk factor of atherosclerotic heart disease. However, the association between the WHtR and the coronary artery calcification score (CACS) still needs to be studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between WHtR and CACS in healthy adults. Methods: A total of 1,111 adults without a history of cardiovascular disease who visited the Health Promotion center at the University Hospital were included in this study. All subjects hadtheir CACS measured via multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT). Results: Participants with a CACS > 0 had a greater WHtR than those with a CACS of 0 (0.535±0.006 vs 0.517±0.005, P <0.001). After adjust-ing for risk factors that affect CAC, WHtR was an independent predictor of CAC (odds ratio: 1.04, P =0.019, 95% CI: 1.01-1.07). Male sex and systolic blood pressure are associated with 2.53- and 1.02-fold increases in CAC, respectively ( P <0.001, 95% CI: 1.53-4.19; P =0.007, 95% CI: 1.01-1.04). Conclusion: In this study of adults without heart disease, WHtR was an independent predictor of CAC. These results suggest that WHtR may be a useful marker of CAD.