Abstract
Background: The prevalence of dyslipidemia has increased manifold in the industrialized, developed, and the developing countries to the extent that it is becoming an escalating epidemic. Obesity, an important risk factor of dyslipidemia, places individuals at risk of various chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. Screening obese individuals by anthropometry and correlating it with the lipid profile helps to identify individuals at risk of developing obesity-related complications.

Aims and Objectives: The current study was done to correlate anthropometric indices with lipid profile of individuals and determine the best anthropometric index which predicts dyslipidemia.

Materials and Methods: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study. A total of 306 adult females who attended Kannur Medical College Hospital for executive checkup were included in the study. Demographic data were collected, the thorough general physical examination was done, and anthropometric measurements were taken according to the standard protocol. Blood samples were taken, and lipid profile was done with the help of automatic analyzer.

Results: It was observed that the mean age of the subjects was 47 years (standard deviation 10.92), the mean waist circumference (WC) was 85.09 cm ± 10.53, body mass index (BMI) was 23.35 ± 4.09 kg/m2, and the mean waist hip ratio (WHR) was 0.87 ± 0.05. Although all anthropometric indicators had a significant positive correlation with lipid parameters, WHR had the highest correlation coefficient when compared to BMI and WC.

Conclusion: It was concluded that WHR is a better predictor of dyslipidemia and its associated complications than BMI and WC.

Key words: Anthropometry; Body Mass Index; Waist Circumference; Waist Hip Ratio; Dyslipidemia; Obesity