Abdominal perimeter and cardiovascular risk

Usually we classify the obesity with the Body Mass Index (BMI), but although it has an important value, it does not take into account the type of obesity, nor the context of the person, for example, people with many muscles can have an index incorrectly , without this entails a higher risk and very high risk, they can have a low index without necessarily signifying that they are not at risk.

According to where fat accumulates in the body, obesity is classified as central or android (it is the one that accumulates fat in the abdomen) and the peripheral or gynecoid (fat accumulates in the hip, thighs and arms). Central obesity has twice the risk of suffering cardiovascular disease than peripheral and triple that of non-obese patients.

Those who suffer from central obesity also accumulate fats around the vital organs, so their risk is also higher for other diseases such as cancer and diabetes. In fact, there is a high correlation between central obesity and insulin resistance, the precursor of metabolic syndrome and causing a large amount of current morbidity and mortality in Panama and La in the world.

To better understand this risk, it is more practical to measure the abdominal circumference. This is achieved when the person stands and emitted all the air, a tape measure passes at the level of the navel and parallel to the floor. It must be done in fasting (ideally when standing up). Usually it is less than 88 cm in women and 102 cm in men.

This is therefore a very practical way to let you know in general terms whether or not you have a higher cardiovascular risk and should be measured every 15 days. The ideal way to keep this perimeter within its ideal values ​​is to do daily exercises and with a balanced diet, low in sugars and fats.