JEDDAH, 28 June 2006 — Cardiology experts have said that measuring abdominal obesity is a far more accurate way of predicting the risk of heart disease as compared to more common means such as measuring the body mass index (BMI).
Experts convened, together with over 50 journalists, at the 1st International Media Summit organized by Sanofi-Aventis in Paris to discuss the latest and most advanced ways of treating obesity.
Professor Luc Van Gaal from the Department of Diabetology at Antwerp University Hospital said in his lecture that despite advancements in the management of cardiovascular diseases in recent decades obesity remains a major problem and a key cause of cardiovascular disease.
“Obesity is typically measured by body mass index. However, recent findings have shown that abdominal obesity (measured through the waist) is a much better predictor of heart attack than measuring weight or BMI,” said Van Gaal.
Dr. Jean-Pierre Despres, the director of research cardiology at Laval Hospital Research Center, pointed out that the measuring of waist circumference was the first step toward tackling heart diseases.
“Waist circumference is a very important way of assessing the risk of cardiovascular disease. For example, we know that patients with increasing abdominal obesity, when occurring with other cardiovascular risk factors including dyslipidaemia, hypertension and raised glucose levels, are at risk of heart disease. Therefore, measuring waist circumference is an easy low cost indicator that should be added to measurements of other cardiovascular risk factors,” he said.
Despres noted that the major risk factors of cardiovascular disease are hypertension, smoking, diabetes, cholesterol, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and diet.
Results from a survey of 27 countries conducted recently revealed that six out of ten physicians recognize abdominal fat as playing a significant role in causing heart disease. However, only a minority of the public was aware of the fact that waist size puts them at risk for heart disease.
Despres added, “Measuring waist circumference is a simple and practical way of identifying people who may be at high risk of developing disorders such as heart disease, other vascular diseases and diabetes. A high risk waistline for women is considered to be more than 88 cm and and 94 cm for men.”
Dr. David Haslam, clinical director of the National Obesity Forum said, “Measuring waist circumferences provides physicians with important information on health risks in the evaluation of overweight and obese people.”
He noted that 1.1 billion people worldwide are overweight.
Participating medical experts confirmed that patients who participated in the Rio-North American trial, which advises patients to take Rimonabant 20mg once daily, maintained weight loss during the second year of treatment and continued to experience favorable improvements across multiple cardio-metabolic risk factors.