'Body Roundness' Might Help Predict Heart Risk Better Than BMI, New Study Shows
Fact checked by Nick BlackmerFact checked by Nick Blackmer Having a high body roundness index (BRI) was associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, new research shows.BRI is a relatively new metric calculated based on a person's height and waist circumference. The measurement is thought to be a more accurate predictor of disease risk than body mass index (BMI).
Having a rounder body might put you at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, a new study suggests.The research, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found that having a high body roundness index (BRI) over a six-year period was associated with up to a 163% increased risk of cardiovascular disease, even when excluding other heart health risk factors.
What Is BRI?Body roundness index, or BRI, is a relatively new metric that measures how “round” a person’s body is. The measurement, calculated based on a person’s height and waist circumference, focuses on the amount of abdominal fat a person has and is thought to be a more accurate predictor of disease risk than body mass index (BMI).“BMI is a simple calculation that only uses height and weight,” Jim Liu, MD, a cardiologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told Health. “BRI, on the other hand, is a more complex calculation that incorporates waist circumference and height. BRI gives a better reflection of abdominal fat proportion.”
Cardiovascular disease—the umbrella term for a group of disorders that affect the heart and blood vessels—is both common and deadly. Nearly 1 out of every 2 Americans over the age of 20 has cardiovascular disease, and it's the leading cause of death worldwide. Obesity—measured by BRI—is a major but modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease.“Our findings indicate that 6 years of moderate-to-high stable BRI appeared to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease,” senior study author Yun Qian, MD, PhD, a researcher in the department of chronic non-communicable disease control at Nanjing Medical University’s Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Nanjing, China, said in a news release. This suggests “that BRI measurements may potentially be used as a predictive factor for cardiovascular disease incidence.”For more on the new research and what BRI can tell you about your heart health, keep reading.
Oscar Wong / Getty Images' title='doctor measuring patient's waist'>
Oscar Wong / Getty Images
A Closer Look at the StudyFor the study, researchers looked at health data from nearly 10,000 adults living in China who had participated in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. The participants were all 45 years or older and didn’t have cardiovascular disease at the time of enrollment.Participants had their BRIs calculated at the beginning of the study and then every two years after that. Researchers analyzed that data to track changes in participants’ BRIs over time and then grouped participants into three groups: those who had a low‐stable BRI trajectory, a moderate‐stable BRI trajectory, and a high‐stable BRI trajectory.Additionally, participants provided blood samples and blood pressure measurements throughout the study period and were required to self-report any cardiovascular health issues—like a heart attack, stroke, angina, coronary heart disease, or heart failure—diagnosed by a medical professional during the study’s follow-up period, from 2017 to 2020.High BRI trajectories were most strongly associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease—compared to those in the low-stable BRI group, people in the high-stable BRI group had a 163% increase in cardiovascular disease risk. Participants in the moderate-stable BRI group had a 61% higher risk of cardiovascular disease.The increased risk of cardiovascular disease stayed true even after researchers accounted for demographic variables, medical history, cardiac medication history, and health measures, including blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol levels.Researchers noted that the incidence of stroke and cardiac events was also significantly higher among participants in the moderate-stable and high-stable BRI level groups.Despite BRI’s potential helpfulness in predicting cardiovascular disease risk, the new research had some limitations. Because the study was conducted in a Chinese population, the findings may not be applicable to people living outside of that country. The six-year follow-up period may also not be long enough to get a complete picture of BRI changes, and the participants’ self-reported information may be inaccurate.
Related: What Fat Around the Heart Might Mean For Your Health
The Link Between Body Roundness and Heart HealthThese findings—that BRI may potentially be used as a predictive factor for cardiovascular disease incidence—could be explained by the correlation between obesity and hypertension, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes, all of which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, Qian explained in the news release.Unlike BMI, which uses a person’s height and overall weight as variables, BRI is based on waist circumference and captures a picture of a person’s abdominal obesity and visceral fat, or fat that’s stored around important internal organs, according to Liu.Having more visceral or abdominal fat is specifically linked to developing heart disease. “Individuals with increased abdominal fat and central obesity are more likely to develop obesity-related complications, like cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia,” said Liu.“This research provides a deeper understanding of how body shape, rather than just weight, can influence heart health,” Sean Ormond, MD, a physician at Atlas Pain Specialists who is dual board-certified in anesthesiology and interventional pain management, told Health.The new study isn’t the only one to look at BRI and cardiovascular disease risk: After analyzing data from 47,303 patients, the authors of a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in February 2024 found that “BRI was significantly associated with traditional cardiovascular risk factors.”Still other research has shown an association between BRI and all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality, as well as a link to predicting fatty liver disease and bone mineral density problems, added Liu.Overall, the new research strengthens the case for using BRI as a health metric, giving healthcare professionals another tool to identify patients at risk of heart disease and reinforcing the idea that body shape—specifically fat distribution—is critical in assessing heart health, said Ormond.“The bottom line is that BRI can predict heart health because it highlights central obesity,” added Liu, “which is a very important predictor for heart disease and other obesity-related problems.” For more Health.com news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Health.com.
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