The relationship between the weight-adjusted-waist index and left ventricular hypertrophy in Chinese hypertension adults

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a major cardiac complication of hypertension. Weight-adjusted-waist index (WWI) is a new obesity index that has been found to be positively associated with cardiovascular disease mortality. We aimed to investigate the relationship between the WWI and LVH in Chinese hypertension adults. The study is a community-based cross-sectional study that included 4715 patients with hypertension and integrated clinical and echocardiographic data. LVH was diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography in these patients based on a criterion of left ventricular mass index (LVMI) over 49.2 g/m 2.7 in men and 46.7 g/m 2.7 in women. The independent association between the WWI quartiles and LVH prevalence was analyzed by logistic regression models. The prevalence of LVH in the first quartile of WWI (Q1: <10.16), second (Q2: 10.16 ~ 10.67), the third (Q3: 10.68~11.19), and the highest quartile (Q4: ≥11.20) was 34.1%, 38.4%, 42.4%, 51.5%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis suggested that the WWI was independently correlated with LVH with adjustment of confounding factors, and increased across the quartile of WWI. Compared to the first quartile of WWI (Q1), the odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for LVH in the increasing quartiles (Q2–Q4) were 1.33(1.08-1.63), 1.50 (1.19–1.89) and 2.28(1.74–2.99), respectively. In stratified analyses, the relationship between WWI and LVH risk persisted. The WWI may be an independent determinant of LVH in Chinese hypertension adults.