Redefining Body Measurements: The Mortality Connection in Seniors
When it comes to understanding health risks in older adults, we often look at measurements like waist circumference (WC), calf circumference (CC), and body mass index (BMI). These have been known to be linked to mortality. But there's a new player in town: the waist-calf circumference ratio (WCR). The research delved into how these measurements relate to the risk of death from various causes in seniors.
The findings? A higher WCR and a smaller CC both upped the risk of death from all causes, heart-related issues, and other reasons. On the flip side, a lower BMI was tied to a greater risk of death from all causes and respiratory diseases. Interestingly, WC was a predictor only for cancer-related deaths. Especially for those aged 80 and above, the effects of CC on mortality were even more pronounced. In simpler terms, these measurements can give us a clearer picture of health risks in our golden years.
Article Information
Association of waist-calf circumference ratio, waist circumference, calf circumference, and body mass index with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in older adults: a cohort study
BMC Public Health. Miao Dai et al.
Abstract
Background: Waist circumference (WC), calf circumference (CC), and body mass index (BMI) have been independently linked to mortality. However, it's not yet clear how the waist-calf circumference ratio (WCR) relates to mortality. This study aims to investigate the relationship between WCR, WC, CC, and BMI with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in older adults.
Methods: In the 2014 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, 4627 participants aged 65 years and older were included, and they were subsequently followed up in 2018. Cox proportional hazards models were utilized to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all-cause and cause-specific mortality, based on WCR, WC, CC, and BMI.
Results: During a median follow-up of 3.4 years, 1671 deaths (36.1%) occurred. Compared to the second quartile of WCR, the highest quartile had a higher risk of mortality from all causes (HR 1.42, 95%CI 1.24-1.64), cardiovascular disease (CVD) (HR 1.88, 95%CI 1.38-2.56), and other causes (HR 1.37, 95%CI 1.15-1.63). The first and fourth quartiles of WC had HRs of 2.19 (1.00-4.79) and 2.69 (1.23-5.89), respectively, for cancer mortality. The highest quartile of CC was associated with a lower risk of all-cause and other-cause mortality, whereas the lowest quartile was associated with a higher risk of all-cause, CVD, and other-cause mortality compared to the second CC quartile. Additionally, the lowest quartile of BMI was associated with a higher risk of all-cause and respiratory disease mortality. Interaction analyses showed that the effects of CC on all-cause and CVD mortality were more pronounced in adults aged ≥ 80 years (P-interaction < .05).
Conclusions: Higher WCR and lower CC increased the risk of all-cause, CVD, and other-cause mortality. Lower BMI was associated with higher all-cause and respiratory disease mortality risk, while WC only predicted cancer mortality.
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