The traditional measure of obesity—the Body Mass Index (BMI)—may have limitations when it comes to predicting high blood pressure. A new study indicates that the Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR) outperforms BMI—which fails to distinguish between muscle and fat—in identifying the risk of hypertension.
According to a report by Xinhua News Agency, the University of Eastern Finland recently issued a press release noting that BMI—a commonly used metric derived by dividing weight by the square of height—has long been widely utilized for obesity screening due to its simplicity of calculation. However, BMI cannot differentiate between fat and muscle; notably, increased muscle mass typically helps reduce the risk of certain cardiometabolic diseases.
Previously, a research team at the University of Eastern Finland proposed a new set of threshold values for the Waist-to-Height Ratio to determine whether body fat levels are elevated or excessive. This metric has demonstrated superior performance in identifying the risks associated with conditions such as prediabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease.
Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland and Rutgers University in the United States analyzed data collected between 2021 and 2023 from 7,243 individuals in the U.S. aged 12 and older, with an average age of 44.8 years.
The results revealed that, compared to individuals with a normal body fat level and a WHtR between 0.40 and 0.50, those with elevated body fat levels and a WHtR between 0.50 and 0.53 were 50% more likely to experience elevated blood pressure and 82% more likely to develop hypertension. For individuals with excessive body fat—defined by a WHtR greater than 0.53—these respective risks rose by 91% and 161%.
In contrast, while overweight and obese classifications based on BMI were associated with elevated blood pressure, they did not demonstrate a significant association with hypertension itself. The researchers suggest that this discrepancy may be attributed to BMI’s inability to account for factors such as muscle mass.
The researchers noted that assessing body fat levels based on the Waist-to-Height Ratio represents a simple and easily implementable method. It holds the potential to enhance early screening efforts and improve the ability to identify the risks of fat-related cardiovascular diseases.
The findings of this study have been published in the American academic journal The Journal of Nutrition.
