Metabolic cardiovascular risk factors worsen continuously across the spectrum of body mass index in Asian Indians.

Objectives: To determine relationship of body mass index (BMI) with multiple cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods: Population-based surveys were performed and 1893 subjects aged 20-59 years evaluated. Data were collected using anthropometry and fasting glucose and lipid estimation. Statistical analyses were performed using curve fit and logistic regression.

Results: Body mass index was correlated significantly (Rho, R(2)) with weight (0.80, 0.64), waist (0.74, 0.55) and waist hip ratio (0.24, 0.06) (P < 0.05). Linear relationship was observed with systolic blood pressure (SBP) (0.39, 0.15), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (0.29, 0.08), fasting glucose (0.13, 0.02), cholesterol (0.10, 0.01), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) (-0.16, 0.03), and triglycerides (0.12, 0.01). Significant trends of risk factors with each increasing BMI unit (χ(2) test, P < 0.001) were observed for hypertension (HTN) (214.4), diabetes (29.5), metabolic syndrome (108.9), and low HDL-c (40.5), and weaker trends with hypercholesterolemia (20.6), and hypertriglyceridemia (9.6). There was exponential relationship of BMI with age- and sex-adjusted odds ratios for HTN, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.

Conclusion: Metabolic cardiovascular risk factors continuously worsen with increasing BMI.