Endocrine Abstracts

Metabolic syndrome and obesity are principal causes of morbidity all over the world, particularly for their association to cardiovascular risk. There is now an obesity worldwide epidemic (Globesity). Amerindians are often living in countries and remote areas with unavailable sophisticated diagnoses methodologies. However, waist circumference is a reliable and easy to record parameter of visceral obesity and MS. Waist circumference normal values are not yet established in Amerindians: South Asian and Japanese values have been recommended for Amerindian use. The purpose of this study is to objectively determine for the first time the waist circumference measure cut-off points for Amerindians, by using i) HLA phenotype to ensure that population tested is Amerindian and ii) measurement of biochemical markers which were diet independent. A total of 303 unrelated Amerindian adults recently immigrated to Madrid were studied; they were healthy, since they were questioned and tested as appropriate for blood donation and recent weight increase. Waist circumference was measured in these voluntary blood donors after written consent. Chosen subjects for study had HLA quasi-specific Amerindian genes. Amerindians with type 1 or 2 diabetes or family antecedents were removed from the study. A receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to compare the predictive validity and to find out the optimal cut-off points of waist circumference normal values. Cut-off points were ≤88.5 cm in males and ≤82.5 cm in females. Obtained waist circumference values recorded here in normal Amerindians are different to the previously recommended ones: those of South Asians. In addition, PPARγ and adiponectin gene linkage to obese Amerindians was not observed. These parameters may be of great value for Spain and American countries for establishing preventive programs in order to predict and control metabolic syndrome.