Body fat percent by bioelectrical impedance analysis and risk of coronary artery disease among urban men with low rates of obesity: the Indian paradox

• Published in: Journal of the American College of Nutrition 1999-06, Vol.18 (3), p.268-273
• Main Authors: Singh, R.B, Niaz, M.A, Beegom, R, Wander, G.S, Thakur, A.S, Rissam, H.S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue; Adult; bioelectric impedance; Biological and medical sciences; blood lipids; blood pressure; body composition; body fat; Body Mass Index; Cardiology. Vascular system; cholesterol; Coronary Disease - epidemiology; Coronary Disease - etiology; Coronary heart disease; Diabetes Complications; diabetes mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus - epidemiology; disease prevalence; Electric Impedance; Heart; heart diseases; Humans; hypercholesterolemia; Hypercholesterolemia - complications; Hypercholesterolemia - epidemiology; hypertension; Hypertension - complications; Hypertension - diagnosis; Hypertension - epidemiology; India - epidemiology; lifestyle; Male; Medical sciences; men; Middle Aged; obesity; Obesity - classification; Obesity - complications; Prevalence; Random Allocation; risk assessment; Risk Factors; smoking (habit); Surveys and Questionnaires; triacylglycerols; triglycerides; Urban Population
• ISSN: 0731-5724; 1541-1087
• DOI: 10.1080/07315724.1999.10718862

Objective: To determine the association between body fat percent and prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and coronary risk factors in subjects with low rates of obesity. Subjects and Methods: We randomly selected 850 men, aged 25 to 64 years. The survey methods were questionnaire and bioelectrical impedance analysis for body composition. Subjects were divided into high-fat (n = 357), over-fat (n = 230), normal-fat (n = 200) and under-fat (n = 63) based on criteria of body-fat percent analysis. Results: The prevalence of CAD and the coronary-risk factors hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and sedentary lifestyle were significantly associated with high and moderate body fat percent despite low body-mass index (23.6 +/- 4.1 kg/m(2)). Mean total cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure were significantly associated with high and moderate body fat percent. The prevalence of smoking was weakly but inversely associated with high body-fat percent. Mean HDL cholesterol was positively associated with high body-fat percent. Body mass index was positively associated with high body-fat percent. Conclusions: High and moderate body-fat-percent subjects were associated with high prevalence of CAD and the coronary-risk factors hypertension, diabetes mellitus, higher body-mass index and sedentary lifestyle.