IMR Press / RCM / Volume 23 / Issue 12 / DOI: 10.31083/j.rcm2312414
Open Access Review
Anthropometric Measures and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: Is there an Opportunity for Non-Traditional Anthropometric Assessment? A Review
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1 Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, University of Murcia, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB-Arrixaca), CIBERCV, 30120 Murcia, Spain
2 Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science at University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, L14 3PE Liverpool, UK
3 Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, L69 3BX Liverpool, UK
4 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology-A, University of Murcia, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB-Arrixaca), CIBERCV, 30120 Murcia, Spain
5 Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg Thrombosis Research Unit, Aalborg University, L69 3BX Aalborg, Denmark
*Correspondence: josemiguel.rivera@um.es (José Miguel Rivera-Caravaca)
§joint senior authors.
Academic Editor: Ezra Abraham Amsterdam
Rev. Cardiovasc. Med. 2022, 23(12), 414; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.rcm2312414
Submitted: 9 August 2022 | Revised: 15 November 2022 | Accepted: 23 November 2022 | Published: 20 December 2022
Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: Several anthropometric measurements are used to assess cardiovascular risk and progress during clinical treatment. Most commonly used anthropometric measurements include total body weight and body mass index (BMI), with several other simple anthropometric measures typically underused in clinical practice. Herein, we review the evidence on the relationship between different anthropometric measurements and cardiovascular risk in patients with and without cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods: Data for this review were identified by searches in PubMed, the Web of Science, Google Scholar, and references from relevant articles by using appropriate and related terms. The last search was performed on June 22, 2022. Articles published in English and Spanish were reviewed and included, if appropriate. We included studies detailing the relationship between skinfolds thickness, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and Conicity index with cardiovascular risk in adults with/without CVD. Results: In patients from the general population, elevated subscapular and triceps skinfolds showed a positive relationship with the development of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality. A higher subscapular skinfold was also associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease and stroke. A higher WHR, as well as other less common anthropometric measurements such as the Conicity index, was associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction, incident CVD, major adverse cardiovascular events, and mortality in both patients with and without previous CVD. Conclusions: Non-traditional anthropometric measurements including skinfolds and WHR seem to improve the prediction of cardiovascular risk in the general population, and recurrent events in patients with previous CVD. Use of additional anthropometric techniques according to an objective and standardized method, may aid cardiovascular risk stratification in patients from the general population and the evaluation of therapeutic interventions for patients with CVD.

Keywords
myocardial infarction
stroke
diabetes
hypertension
kinanthropometry
body weights and measures
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