Lower optimal cutoff values to define overweight in Chinese as compared to white Caucasian populations
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This study aimed to determine an optimal BMI cutoff for overweight that represented elevated incidence of hypertension in Chinese adults, using data from the China Health and Nutrition survey 2000-2004 prospective cohort. Cumulative incidence was calculated by dividing new cases of hypertension over the study period by the total at-risk population, aged 18-65 years, in 2000. Four-year cumulative incidences of hypertension were significantly related to the increase in BMI. The age-adjusted area under the curve (AUC) was 0.68 for men and 0.71 for women. A BMI of 23.5 kg/m2 for women and 22.5 kg/m2 for men provided the highest sensitivity and specificity, a BMI of 25 kg/m2 (a threshold for defining overweight in white Caucasian populations) providing lower sensitivities with higher specificities. These study results support the hypothesis that the BMI cutoff to define overweight should be lower in Chinese than in white Caucasian populations.
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