Open AccessFour-year stability of anthropometric and cardio-metabolic parameters in a prospective cohort of older adults
Author(s) -
Sarah E Jackson,
Cornelia H M van Jaarsveld,
Rebecca J Beeken,
Marc J. Gunter,
Andrew Steptoe,
Jane Wardle
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
biomarkers in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.652
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1752-0371
pISSN - 1752-0363
DOI - 10.2217/bmm.14.78
Subject(s) - medicine , anthropometry , waist , intraclass correlation , prospective cohort study , cohort , population , metabolic syndrome , demography , body mass index , endocrinology , obesity , environmental health , clinical psychology , sociology , psychometrics
Aim: To examine the medium-term stability of anthropometric and cardio-metabolic parameters in the general population. Materials & methods: Participants were 5160 men and women from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (age ≥50 years) assessed in 2004 and 2008. Anthropometric data included height, weight, BMI and waist circumference. Cardio-metabolic parameters included blood pressure, serum lipids (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides), hemoglobin, fasting glucose, fibrinogen and C-reactive protein. Results: Stability of anthropometric variables was high (all intraclass correlations >0.92), although mean values changed slightly (-0.01 kg weight, +1.33 cm waist). Cardio-metabolic parameters showed more variation: correlations ranged from 0.43 (glucose) to 0.81 (HDL). The majority of participants (71–97%) remained in the same grouping relative to established clinical cut-offs. Conclusion: Over a 4-year period, anthropometric and cardio-metabolic parameters showed good stability. These findings suggest that when no means to obtain more recent data exist, a one-time sample will give a reasonable approximation to average levels over the medium-term, although reliability is reduced.