Genetic Association of Waist-to-Hip Ratio With Cardiometabolic Traits, Type 2 Diabetes, and Coronary Heart Disease

Abstract
Obesity, typically defined on the basis of body mass index (BMI), is a leading cause of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease (CHD) in the population.1,2 However, for any given BMI, body fat distribution can vary substantially; some individuals store proportionally more fat around their visceral organs (abdominal adiposity) than on their thighs and hip.3 Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) adjusted for BMI is a surrogate measure of abdominal adiposity and has been correlated with direct imaging assessments of abdominal fat.4,5