Diagnostic accuracy of different anthropometric indicators for detecting lipid profile alterations in the Peruvian population

Abstract

Dyslipidemias are prevalent cardiovascular risk factors in Latin America. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of anthropometric indicators in detecting lipid profile alterations in Peruvian individuals. A diagnostic test study with secondary analysis of the PERU MIGRANT study was conducted using index tests based on waist circumference and skinfold thickness. Outcomes included hypercholesterolemia, low HDL-c, elevated triglycerides, and high total cholesterol to HDL-c ratio (TC/HDL-c). Receiver operating characteristic curves and area under the curve (AUC) were assessed with optimal cutoff points determined by the Youden index, stratified by sex. A number of 972 participants were included. Waist circumference showed the highest AUC for hypercholesterolemia (0.65 in women, 0.67 in men). The waist-to-height ratio showed the highest AUC for elevated triglycerides (AUC: 0.66). For low HDL-c, waist-to-hip ratio in women (AUC: 0.62) and waist-to-height ratio in men (AUC: 0.65) performed best. Waist-to-height ratio demonstrated AUCs ≥0.70 for elevated TC/HDL-c ratio in both sexes, with waist circumference having an AUC of 0.71 in men. Waist-based tests demonstrated moderate to high diagnostic capabilities for lipid alterations, particularly for elevated TC/HDL-c ratio. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.