Optimal BMI cut-off values for predicting diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia in a multi-ethnic population

• Main Authors: Kee, Chee Cheong, Yusoff, Ahmad Fauzi, Ghazali, Sumarni M., Kuang, H. Lim, Selvarajah, Sharmini, Haniff, Jamaiyah, Khor, Geok Lin, Shahar, Suzana, Ab Rahman, Jamalludin, Zainuddin, Ahmad A., Mustafa, Amal Nasir
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Univ Press 2013
• Subjects: R Medicine (General)
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/35703/1/Kee_2013b.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/35703/; http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8823589

Objective To determine the optimal cut-offs of BMI for Malaysian adults. Design Population-based, cross-sectional study. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine the cut-off values of BMI with optimum sensitivity and specificity for the detection of three cardiovascular risk factors: diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia. Gender-specific logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between BMI and these cardiovascular risk factors. Setting All fourteen states in Malaysia. Subjects Malaysian adults aged ≥18 years (n 32 703) who participated in the Third National Health and Morbidity Survey in 2006. Results The optimal BMI cut-off value for predicting the presence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia or at least one of these cardiovascular risk factors varied from 23·3 to 24·1 kg/m 2 for men and from 24·0 to 25·4 kg/m2 for women. In men and women, the odds ratio for having diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia or at least one cardiovascular risk factor increased significantly as BMI cut-off point increased. Conclusions Our findings indicate that BMI cut-offs of 23·0 kg/m2 in men and 24·0 kg/m2 in women are appropriate for classification of overweight. We suggest that these cut-offs can be used by health professionals to identify individuals for cardiovascular risk screening and weight management programmes. © 2012 The Authors.