Lipids, Waist Circumference and Body Mass Index in Haemodialysis Patients

In the general population, dyslipidaemia and abdominal obesity are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, but less is known about their roles in patients on maintenance haemodialysis (HD). This study investigated the association between blood lipids and abdominal obesity, as determined by waist circumference (WAC), and body mass index (BMI) in 72 HD patients (32 women). Blood lipid levels were measured using routine laboratory methods. Abdominal obesity, based on the WAC measurement, was found in 62.5 % of HD patients (75.0 % of women; 52.5 % of men). Triglyceride levels were higher in abdominally obese compared with abdominally non-obese men. According to BMI measurements, 34.7 % of HD patients were overweight/obese and 9.7 % were underweight. In men, WAC and BMI were positively correlated with triglyceride levels. In women, WAC was negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and apolipoprotein A levels. The results indicated that there was a negative association of abdominal obesity and BMI with HDL cholesterol in HD patients