Assessment of obesity indices for prediction of hyperglycemia in adult population of Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), India

Objectives: Obesity is a known risk factor for diabetes mellitus. Multiple obesity indices are available to assess and classify obesity status, including Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist Circumference (WC), and Waist-Height Ratio (WHtR). The present research was conducted to assess these obesity indices for their usefulness in predicting hyperglycemia. Materials and Methods: BMI, WC, WHtR, and Random Capillary Blood Glucose (RCBG) levels were measured in total 188 adult volunteers from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Pearson correlation, unpaired Student’s t-test, and Chi-square tests were applied to assess associations and difference of measured parameters among different categories. Receiver operating curve analysis was performed to find best obesity indices to predict hyperglycemia (RCBG ≥140 mg/dl) and to find optimal cut off values for prediction. Results: Age of subjects, WC and WHtR (but not BMI) were found significantly correlated with RCBG levels. WHtR classified highest number of subjects as obese, compared to BMI and WC. WHtR was also found to be the best obesity index to predict hyperglycemia in both male and female subjects. Conclusion: WHtR can be used as cost effective, non-invasive, and convenient obesity index for screening and prediction of hyperglycemia in apparently healthy adult subjects. Thus, identified subjects can further be advised to undergo blood glucose testing for the early detection of diabetes and prediabetes.