Waist‐to‐height ratio is an appropriate index for identifying cardiometabolic risk in <scp>C</scp>hinese individuals with normal body mass index and waist circumference 腰臀比是鉴别体重指数和腰围正常的中国人群的心血管代谢风险的适宜指标

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background</jats:title><jats:p>The waist‐to‐height ratio (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">WHtR</jats:styled-content>), a novel index that has been reported to correlate more strongly than body mass index (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">BMI</jats:styled-content>) and waist circumference (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">WC</jats:styled-content>) with cardiometabolic risk factors, has not been studied in <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">C</jats:styled-content>hinese individuals with normal body mass index and waist circumference. The present study compared the predictive power of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">WHtR</jats:styled-content> with those of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">BMI</jats:styled-content> and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">WC</jats:styled-content> for such factors in non‐obese <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">C</jats:styled-content>hinese, and to define optimal cutoffs of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">WHtR</jats:styled-content> in this population.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>A total of 2137 subjects aged 40–75 years were recruited. Three anthropometric indices (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">WHtR</jats:styled-content>, <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">BMI</jats:styled-content>, and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">WC</jats:styled-content>) were compared and the optimal cutoffs of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">WHtR</jats:styled-content> were identified by receiver operating characteristic curve (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ROC</jats:styled-content>) analysis. <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">WHtR</jats:styled-content> was divided into four quartiles (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">WHtR‐Q</jats:styled-content>), and multiple linear regression analyses were used to calculate the relationship between <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">WHtR‐Q</jats:styled-content> and clinical biochemical index.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Waist‐to‐height ratio was more efficient than <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">WC</jats:styled-content> to identify cardiometabolic risk factors in both genders, but was only superior to <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">BMI</jats:styled-content> in females. <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">WHtR‐Q</jats:styled-content> was positively correlated with fasting plasma glucose, 2‐h postprandial blood glucose, and systolic blood pressure, and negatively connected with high density lipoprotein cholesterol in both genders after controlling for age, current smoking and drinking, moderate‐intensity physical activity, daily sedentary time, daily screen time and menopause (only for females). The optimal cutoffs of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">WHtR</jats:styled-content> for detecting cardiometabolic risk factors were 0.47 in males and 0.51 in females.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title><jats:p>Waist‐to‐height ratio might be an effective index to identify cardiometabolic risk factors in <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">C</jats:styled-content>hinese with normal <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">BMI</jats:styled-content> and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">WC</jats:styled-content>, particularly in females.</jats:p></jats:sec>