1Department of Physiology, Government Medical College, Amritsar-143001, Punjab, India
3Department of Physiology, Genesis Institute of Dental Sciences and Research, Ferozepur-142001, Punjab, India
4Department of Anatomy, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar-143001, Punjab, India
*Email: richaghaythaman@yahoo.co.in
Online published on 30 May, 2012.
The health risk of obesity cannot be assessed on the basis of adiposity alone but the location of fat deposition must be considered when studying the association between obesity and disease.
The objective of the study was to verify the relationship between obesity and body fat distribution on lipid profiles in women.
Subjects were 75 women, 20–40 years of age, selected at random from the general population of Amritsar district in Punjab. Serum total cholesterol (TC), Triglycerides (TG), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), and LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) were determined for all subjects. Overall obesity was determined using the Body Mass Index (BMI) and central obesity was determined using the Waist- Hip Ratio (WHR). Statistical analysis was done, using unpaired t-test.
The mean values for all the adiposity variables and lipid profile components indicated an elevated atherogenic risk. The indicators of overall and central obesity were directly related to TC, TG and LDL-C levels and inversely related to HDL-C levels.
Central adiposity had a greater effect on the lipid profile among women and can help explain the association observed between different fat distribution phenotypes and coronary heart disease.
Adiposity, Atherosclerosis, Body mass index, Lipid profile, Waist-hip ratio
