Central Adiposity Reclassifies Cardiovascular Risk Across BMI Spectrum

MONDAY, Aug. 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) reclassify cardiovascular risk across normal weight, overweight, and obesity, according to a study published in the Aug. 11 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.Zeina A. Dardari, Ph.D., from the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Baltimore, and colleagues quantified the reclassification and misclassification of traditional normal weight/overweight/obesity categories using central adiposity and evaluated the prognostic implications for cardiovascular disease risk.The sample included 259,351 individuals with WC data and 218,984 with WHR data from 15 cohorts of the Cross-Cohort Collaboration, who were followed for a median of 20.0 years. Overall, 5 and 18 percent of individuals with normal weight had high WC and high WHR, respectively, as did 39 and 40 percent of those with overweight. Among those with obesity, 9 and 45 percent had low WC and low WHR, respectively. The researchers found that clinically defined high WC or WHR was associated with a 15 to 50 percent greater risk for most outcomes among those with normal weight or overweight. Low WC among those with obesity was not associated with a significantly different risk compared with normal weight and low WC, apart from all-cause mortality, which had a significantly lower risk. The population attributable risk associated with elevated WC or WHR varied from 13 to 49 percent among those with obesity, with the highest estimates seen for elevated WC in heart failure and atrial fibrillation."We encourage clinicians to consider central adiposity distribution across the entire body mass index spectrum when evaluating cardiovascular risk in primary prevention settings," Dardari said in a statement.One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)Editorial (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Central Adiposity Reclassifies Cardiovascular Risk Across BMI Spectrum

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