Hypertriglyceridemic waist-to-height ratio phenotype: association with atherogenic lipid profile in Han adolescents

Hypertriglyceridemic waist (HW) phenotype was associated with an atherogenic lipid profile in adolescents. But unlike adults, the cutoffs of waist circumference are age- and gender-specific standards and are less feasible for non-professional use. The present study tested the hypothesis that simple variables, such as waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and serum triacylglycerol (TG) concentrations, could be used as screening tools for the identification of adolescents characterized by atherogenic lipid profile. In 2006, anthropometric and biochemical measurements were assessed in a cross-sectional population-based study of 3136 Han adolescents, aged 13–17 years. The hypertriglyceridemic waist-to-height ratio (HWHtR) phenotype was defined as serum TG concentrations ≥1.47 mmol/L and WHtR ≥0.48 for boys and ≥0.46 for girls. Hypercholesterolemia (total cholesterol ≥5.18 mmol/L), high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C ≥3.37 mmol/L), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C <1.03 mmol/L), and high non-HDL-C (≥3.76 mmol/L) were considered as atherogenic lipid profiles. After control for age and sex, adolescents with the HWHtR phenotype were more likely to have hypercholesterolemia (odds ratio (OR) = 7.8, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 3.5–17.3, P < 0.001), high LDL-C (OR = 9.4, 95 % CI = 2.8–31.2, P < 0.001), low HDL-C (OR = 10.8, 95 % CI = 6.9–17.0, P < 0.001), and high non-HDL-C (OR = 22.9, 95 % CI = 10.0–52.2, P < 0.001) than those adolescents with normal WHtR and normal serum TG concentrations.

Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that HWHtR phenotype is a simple marker for identifying adolescents with atherogenic lipid profile. Compared with HW phenotype, HWHtR phenotype is a non-age-dependent index with higher applicability to screen for cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents.