Age-related differences in recommended anthropometric cut-off point validity to identify cardiovascular risk factors in ostensibly healthy women.

AIM: To investigate validity of widely recommended anthropometric and total fat percentage cut-off points in screening for cardiovascular risk factors in women of different ages. METHODS: A population-based sample of 1002 Swedish women aged 38, 50, 75 (younger, middle-aged and elderly, respectively) underwent anthropometry, health examinations and blood tests. Total fat was estimated (bioimpedance) in 670 women. Sensitivity, specificity of body mass index (BMI; ≥25 and ≥30), waist circumference (WC; ≥80 cm and ≥88 cm) and total fat percentage (TF; ≥35%) cut-off points for cardiovascular risk factors (dyslipidaemias, hypertension and hyperglycaemia) were calculated for each age. Cut-off points yielding high sensitivity together with modest specificity were considered valid. Women reporting hospital admission for cardiovascular disease were excluded. RESULTS: The sensitivity of WC ≥80 cm for one or more risk factors was ~60% in younger and middle-aged women, and 80% in elderly women. The specificity of WC ≥80 cm for one or more risk factors was 69%, 57% and 40% at the three ages (p < .05 for age trends). WC ≥80 cm yielded ~80% sensitivity for two or more risk factors across all ages. However, specificity decreased with increasing age (p < .0001), being 33% in elderly. WC ≥88 cm provided better specificity in elderly women. BMI and TF % cut-off points were not better than WC. CONCLUSIONS: Validity of recommended anthropometric cut-off points in screening asymptomatic women varies with age. In younger and middle-age, WC ≥80 cm yielded high sensitivity and modest specificity for two or more risk factors, however, sensitivity for one or more risk factor was less than optimal. WC ≥88 cm showed better validity than WC ≥80 cm in elderly. Our results support age-specific screening cut-off points for women.

Higher risk of stillbirth among lower and middle income women who do not use tobacco, but live with smokers.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate pregnancy outcomes among women living with smokers. DESIGN: Data were from a cohort study of 1,217 women recruited during 3-7th month of pregnancy and 96% followed-up after delivery. The main objective was to investigate effects of smokeless tobacco on pregnancy outcomes. SETTING: Lower and middle-class neighborhoods in Mumbai, India. Community health volunteers who had good rapport with the local population collaborated with the study personnel to help locate and interact with potential participants. POPULATION: Singleton births from non-tobacco users; n = 924/903/802 for stillbirth/gestational age/birthweight analysis. Non-smoking women who lived with smokers (28%) were categorized as 'exposed' to second hand smoke (SHS). METHODS: House-to-house surveys with questionnaire administration and medical records abstraction by trained personnel at recruitment and follow-up. OUTCOME MEASURES: Stillbirth (no evidence of life at birth after at least 20 weeks of gestation), low birthweight (

Normal weight adiposity in a Swedish population: how well is cardiovascular risk associated with excess body fat captured by BMI?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine how well body mass index (BMI) reflects cardiovascular risk associated with excess adiposity in a Swedish population by examining the association between body fat, BMI and cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: A total of 3,010 adults participated. Normal weight adiposity was defined as the combination of BMI < 25 kg/m2 and percentage body fat ≥35% for women and ≥25% for men. Associations with blood pressure, blood lipids, apolipoproteins and C-reactive protein were analysed in age-adjusted regression models. RESULTS: The majority of the individuals with overweight and obesity were correctly classified to adiposity, while a wide range of body fat was observed among the normal weight subjects. In total, 9% of the participants were categorised as normal weight with adiposity. Compared with the normal weight leanness group, participants with normal weight adiposity had higher levels of serum triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, C-reactive protein, apolipoptotein B and the apolipoprotein B/A-I ratio. In normal weight men, adiposity was also associated with higher blood pressure and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. CONCLUSIONS: Higher percentage of body fat was associated with less favourable risk factor profile even in subjects who were normal weight. Thus, it might be relevant to screen for metabolic risk factors in the upper end of the normal weight category.

Anemia in pregnant women who use smokeless tobacco.

A significantly higher mean hemoglobin level in women smokers in comparison to nonsmokers with a generalized rightward shift of the hemoglobin distribution curve has been reported at the population level. Studies on pregnant women, however, have often associated smoking with decreased hemoglobin levels, although not consistently. We examined whether smokeless tobacco use during pregnancy influenced hemoglobin levels in a population-based cohort of 918 pregnant women in Mumbai, India. Mean hemoglobin levels (Hb) were significantly lower in users (10.00 g/dl) compared with nonusers (10.46 g/dl), p<.000. Anemia (Hb<10 g/dl) was significantly associated with smokeless tobacco in the univariate analysis (OR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.2-2.5). There was no change after adjusting odds ratios for potential confounders in multivariate analysis (OR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.2-2.5). The odds ratios for anemia were adjusted for age of mother, education, socioeconomic status, type of residence, lower body mass index, parity, vegetarian or nonvegetarian food habit, and hemodilution during pregnancy. The results suggest that smokeless tobacco use during pregnancy is associated with lower hemoglobin levels, as has often been observed with cigarette smoking. Smokeless tobacco use is widely prevalent among women in Southeast Asia and is gaining popularity across the world as a safe alternative to smoking. Further exploration and clarification of this association is therefore of considerable importance to public health.

Smokeless tobacco use and risk of stillbirth: a cohort study in Mumbai, India.

BACKGROUND: Maternal cigarette smoking has been causally associated with an increased risk for stillbirth. Preliminary reports suggest an increased risk for stillbirth with smokeless tobacco use during pregnancy. METHODS: We conducted a population-based prospective cohort study to investigate this association by using a house-to-house approach to recruit 1,217 women who were between 3 and 7 months' gestation. Of these, 96% were contacted after delivery to determine the pregnancy outcome. Demographic and maternal variables which were apparently associated either with stillbirth or with smokeless tobacco use (OR >or= 1.5) were included as potential confounders. Stillbirth was defined as any delivery of a dead fetus after 20 completed weeks of gestation. We used time-to-event methods to analyze the risk of stillbirth. RESULTS: Overall occurrence of stillbirth among singleton deliveries in this population was 4.1%. Smokeless tobacco use was reported by 17% of women; 8.9% of smokeless tobacco users had a stillbirth compared with 3.1% among nonusers (life-table adjusted hazard ratio = 3.1; 95% confidence interval = 1.7-5.6). After adjustment by the Cox proportional hazards procedure for age, educational and socioeconomic background, working status of mother, parity, prenatal care variables, and place of delivery, the risk for stillbirth in users was 2.6 (95% confidence interval-1.4-4.8). Most women used mishri (a pyrolyzed tobacco product often used as dentifrice), and there was a dose-response relationship between the daily frequency of use and stillbirth risk. The risk of stillbirth associated with smokeless tobacco use was greater in earlier gestational periods. CONCLUSIONS: Smokeless tobacco use during pregnancy increases stillbirth risk, with a risk at least as great as that associated with maternal cigarette smoking.

Smokeless tobacco use, birth weight, and gestational age: population based, prospective cohort study of 1217 women in Mumbai, India.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of using smokeless tobacco during pregnancy on babies' birth weight and gestational age at birth. DESIGN: Population based, prospective cohort study using a house to house approach. SETTING: Eight primary health post areas in the city of Mumbai (Bombay), India. PARTICIPANTS: 1217 women who were three to seven months pregnant and planning to deliver in the study area. 1167 women (96%) were followed up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Birth weight and gestational age in singleton births. RESULTS: Smokeless tobacco use was associated with an average reduction of 105 g in birth weight (95% confidence interval 30 g to 181 g) and a reduction in gestational age of 6.2 (3.0 to 9.4) days. The odds ratio for low birth weight was 1.6 (1.1 to 2.4), adjusted by logistic regression for maternal age, education, socioeconomic status, weight, anaemia, antenatal care, and gestational age. The adjusted odds ratio for preterm delivery (< 37 weeks) was 1.4 (1.0 to 2.1); for delivery before 32 weeks it was 4.9 (2.1 to 11.8) and before 28 weeks it was 8.0 (2.6 to 27.2). CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of smokeless tobacco during pregnancy decreases gestational age at birth and birth weight independent of gestational age. It should receive specific attention as a part of routine prenatal care.