Optimal definitions for abdominal obesity and the metabolic syndrome in Andean Hispanics: the PREVENCION study.

Objective: We aimed to establish optimal definitions for abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) among Andean adults.

Research Design And Methods: Among 1,448 Andean adults, we assessed the relationship between waist circumference and subclinical vascular disease assessed by carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and manifest cardiovascular disease (M-CVD).

Results: Optimal waist circumference cutoffs to classify individuals with abnormal cIMT or M-CVD were >97 and >87 cm in men and women, respectively.