Skip Navigation


The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on October 16, 2008
The European Journal of Public Health 2009 19(1):95-99; doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckn090
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
19/1/95    most recent
ckn090v1
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (2)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Korhonen, P. E.
Right arrow Articles by Saaresranta, T.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Korhonen, P. E.
Right arrow Articles by Saaresranta, T.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Miscellaneous

Waist circumference home measurement—a device to find out patients in cardiovascular risk

Päivi E. Korhonen1, Pekka T. Jaatinen2, Pertti T. Aarnio3, Ilkka M. Kantola4 and Tarja Saaresranta5,6

1 Central Satakunta Health Federation of Municipalities, Harjavalta, Finland
2 Department of Family Medicine, Satakunta Hospital District, Pori, Finland
3 Department of Surgery, Satakunta Hospital District, Pori, Finland
4 Department of Medicine, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku, Finland
5 Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku, Finland
6 Department of Physiology, Sleep Research Unit, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

Correspondence: Päivi Korhonen, Jokikatu 3, 29200 Harjavalta, Finland, tel: 358-40-7653257, fax: 358-2-6741180, e-mail: paivi.e.korhonen{at}fimnet.fi

Received January 9, 2008 , accepted August 18, 2008

Background: New strategies are needed to prevent the global epidemic of diabetes and subsequent rise in cardiovascular diseases. We describe a community-based, two-stage screening strategy using home waist circumference measurement and a risk factor questionnaire as a primary screening tool. Methods: We mailed a tape for measurement of waist and a risk factor questionnaire to every inhabitant aged 45–70 years living in the rural town of Harjavalta in Finland. Thereafter we performed an oral glucose tolerance test, anthropometric variables and blood pressure of subjects having at least one risk factor for type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease. People with previously known diabetes or vascular disease were excluded. Results: Seventy-three percent (2085/2856) of the invited inhabitants participated, and 84% of the respondents had at least one pre-specified risk factor. Waist circumference ≥80 cm in women and ≥94 cm in men (n = 1168), positive metabolic syndrome criteria of the International Diabetes Federation (n = 681) or the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score questionnaire ≥12 points (n = 697) identified 95, 92 and 63% of the new cases of type 2 diabetes and 84, 75 or 62% of pre-diabetes, respectively. Conclusion: The International Diabetes Federation criteria for elevated waist circumference are very sensitive but lack specificity in diagnosing glucose disorders. The criteria for metabolic syndrome and the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score questionnaire are more efficient tools for the selection of patients for further risk stratification in general practise.

Keywords: FINDRISC, metabolic syndrome, oral glucose tolerance test, population survey, waist circumference


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.