Skip to main content
eScholarship
Open Access Publications from the University of California

UC San Diego

UC San Diego Previously Published Works bannerUC San Diego

Anthropometric measures of obesity and renal artery calcification: Results from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Renal artery calcium (RAC) has been linked to several cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, including age, male gender, and hypertension. The purpose of this study was to determine whether anthropometric measures of obesity are associated with presence of RAC. METHODS:We studied 1287 community-dwelling adults enrolled in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Logistic regression models adjusted for CVD risk factors were used to examine body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) as primary predictors of RAC. RESULTS:Study participants had a mean age of 67.7 years, 55.7% were female, and 36.8% were non-Hispanic White. Prevalence of RAC was 33.3%. WC and WHR as continuous variables were not significant with adjustment. Subjects with high WC, as defined by World Health Organization cut-offs, had significantly higher odds for RAC in the fully adjusted model. BMI and HC were not significantly associated with RAC in any models. CONCLUSIONS:In this community-based sample of older adults, higher levels of WC are significantly associated with RAC independently of CVD risk factors. Adults who meet World Health Organization criteria for high WC may be at higher risk for complications of calcified atherosclerosis in the renal arteries.

Many UC-authored scholarly publications are freely available on this site because of the UC's open access policies. Let us know how this access is important for you.

Main Content
For improved accessibility of PDF content, download the file to your device.
Current View