Prospective Association of Obesity Patterns with Subclinical Carotid Plaque Development in Early Postmenopausal Chinese Women.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the prospective associations of general and abdominal obesity patterns with carotid plaque development among early postmenopausal Chinese women. METHODS: A total of 518 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 64 years were recruited between 2002 and 2004 and were followed up at 3 years and 5 years. Carotid plaque was measured using B-mode ultrasonography, whereas general and abdominal obesity were defined as BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 and waist-hip ratio ≥ 0.85, respectively. Sociodemographic, lifestyle, mental health, disease history, and clinical measurements were also assessed for confounding control. Multivariable binary logistic regression analyses on plaque development at 5 years were performed among 322 women with no carotid plaque at baseline. RESULTS: Over the 5-year follow-up period, 70 women (21.7%) developed carotid plaque. Baseline abdominal obesity independently predicted plaque development (adjusted odds ratio = 2.30; 95% CI 1.15-4.60), but general obesity did not. Women with normal-weight abdominal obesity were more than twice as likely to develop carotid plaque (adjusted odds ratio = 2.43; 95% CI 1.02-5.75) compared with women with no obesity, with their risk comparable to women with both general and abdominal obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Abdominal obesity was a critical predictor of subclinical carotid plaque development among early postmenopausal Chinese women. Policy makers should recognize the need to identify high-risk midlife women with normal-weight abdominal obesity in public health and clinical practice.