Waist circumference (WC) is closely associated with metabolic diseases, including diabetes mellitus (DM), metabolic syndrome, and mortality. However, the correlation between WC and mortality varies across populations and has rarely been examined specifically in patients with DM. In this study, we explored the relationships between WC and both all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities among individuals with DM.
Participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2018 included 3,151 women and 3,473 men with DM who had baseline WC measurements. Survival data were collected from enrollment until December 31, 2019. Cox proportional hazard models were adjusted for demographic features and other confounders. Restricted cubic spline curves and threshold effect analyses were performed separately for men and women. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to minimize reverse causality.
Among 6,624 participants with DM, 621 women and 871 men died during median follow-ups of 6.8 and 6.3 years, respectively. WC demonstrated a U-shaped association with all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities in women, and a J-shaped trend in men. The optimal WC thresholds for minimizing mortality risk were 107.0 cm for women and 89.0 cm for men. For women, adjusted hazard ratios for all-cause mortality were 0.97 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.96–0.98, P < 0.001) for WC below 107.0 cm and 1.04 (95% CI: 1.02–1.05, P < 0.001) for WC above 107.0 cm. In men, the corresponding ratios were 0.94 (95% CI: 0.90–0.97, P < 0.001) for WC below 89.0 cm and 1.03 (95% CI: 1.02–1.05, P < 0.001) for WC above 89.0 cm.
WC showed a U-shaped association with all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities in women and a J-shaped association in men among U.S. adults with DM from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms rather than promoting preconceived notions about an optimal WC.
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The study was recently published in the Exploratory Research and Hypothesis in Medicine .
Exploratory Research and Hypothesis in Medicine (ERHM) publishes original exploratory research articles and state-of-the-art reviews that focus on novel findings and the most recent scientific advances that support new hypotheses in medicine. The journal accepts a wide range of topics, including innovative diagnostic and therapeutic modalities as well as insightful theories related to the practice of medicine. The exploratory research published in ERHM does not necessarily need to be comprehensive and conclusive, but the study design must be solid, the methodologies must be reliable, the results must be true, and the hypothesis must be rational and justifiable with evidence.
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Exploratory Research and Hypothesis in Medicine
Association of Waist Circumference with All-cause and Cardiovascular Mortalities in Diabetes from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2018
31-Dec-2024