Having a high body roundness index (BRI) over a 6-year period was associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease for adults older than age 45, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed Journal of the American Heart Association. Previous research has indicated that BRI, a measure to reflect abdominal fat and body shape, may be helpful to predict CVD risk. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, with almost 20 million deaths annually, according to the American Heart Association's Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2024 Update.
Obesity is a significant modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and previous research has indicated that abdominal obesity may be a stronger risk factor for cardiovascular disease than general obesity. BRI is an abdominal obesity-related index that combines waist circumference and height, reflecting the proportion of abdominal and visceral fat. In contrast, body mass index (BMI) only measures weight in relationship to height.
Previous research has suggested that BRI is a valuable predictor of cardiovascular disease risk, and BRI may help determine the presence of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. In this study, researchers evaluated the association of BRI with cardiovascular disease among participants in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), a nationally representative study of middle-.