Implications of increased weight and waist circumference on vascular risk in an older Chinese population: the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study

BackgroundThe relationships between weight and waist on vascular risk are well described, but the long-term impact of these parameters is less clearly defined, particularly in Chinese populations.MethodsTen thousand four hundred and ten older subjects (50–85 years) were recruited and blood pressure, anthropometric, and fasting vascular risk factors measured. Socioeconomic and demographic data, including self-reported weight and waist gain since 18 years. The association of weight and waist gain with these vascular risk factors was analysed.ResultsWeight, and particularly waist gain were associated with a more adverse vascular risk factor profile, with the most adverse profile associated with gains in both weight and waist. Anthropometric gains were associated with increased risk even in non-obese subjects (p < 0.05). Even after adjustment for a range of demographic and socioeconomic factors, waist gain was associated with additional risk of having the metabolic syndrome and its components and self-reported vascular disease in those centrally obese subjects (p < 0.05 for all).ConclusionIncreased weight and waist increased the level of vascular risk factors and self-reported disease in both non-obese and obese subjects. The high prevalence of vascular risk factors in this population forewarns of a major developing health burden in the rapidly modernising 1.2 billion Chinese population.