San Diego, CA, June 4, 2005 - Researchers at the 87th Annual Meeting of The Endocrine Society in San Diego will present the results of a study by the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich and the University of Dresden, demonstrating that the simplest and most predictive standard for obesity and its related cardiovascular risks is the waist-to-tallness ratio.

Obesity has been clearly associated with cardiovascular risk factors, and it is known that treatment of obesity reduces that risk. However, a number of different obesity standards have been used to predict cardiovascular risks. For years, the body mass index (BMI) was the standard measure. In recent years, waist circumference (WC) has been proposed as a more appropriate indicator for obesity and cardiovascular risk.

To determine the most predictive obesity standard, an analysis of the DETECT study, was performed on 48,353 primary care patients by Dr. Harald Schneider of the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry and colleagues. They tested the predictive value of BMI, WC, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and waist-to-tallness ratio (WTR).

DETECT is a cross-sectional clinical-epidemiological study with a prospective-longitudinal component in a nationally representative sample of primary care settings and patients. All patients completed a standardized clinical and lab assessment which included questionnaires and diagnostic screening measures. A sub-sample of patients (7,519) also completed a standardized laboratory screening program and received follow-up over 12 months.

The WTR was found to be most strongly associated with most risk factors in males and females. A cut-off for the WTR of 0.53 for women and of 0.55 for men revealed both highest specificity and sensitivity for overall-cardiovascular risk.

“The study strongly suggests that the measurement of WTR is simple and the most reliable predictor of cardiovascular risk in primary care,” said Dr. Schneider.

# # #

Founded in 1916, The Endocrine Society is the world's oldest, largest, and most active organization devoted to research on hormones and the clinical practice of endocrinology. Today, The Endocrine Society's membership consists of over 14,000 scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in more than 80 countries. Together, these members represent all basic, applied, and clinical interests in endocrinology. The Endocrine Society is based in Chevy Chase, Md. To learn more about the Society, and the field of endocrinology, visit our web site at www.endo-society.org.