부산대학교 도서관

The present study investigated the relationship between obesity and atherosclerosis according to age in the general female population. Six hundred fifty-five females were divided into 3 different age groups and the relationship between brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and various obesity indices were investigated. In the youngest age group (20-39 years), BMI, percentage body fat and abdominal circumference were positively correlated with baPWV. In the middle-aged group (40-59 years), all four obesity indices (BMI, percentage body fat, abdominal circumference and the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) ) were positively correlated with baPWV. However, baPWV was found to be negatively correlated with BMI only in the oldest age group (60 years and over), though it was still positively correlated with WHR (but not abdominal circumference). The reason for this may be due to a gradual reduction of body weigh caused by some lifestyle-related diseases or aging. In this study, it was confirmed that abdominal obesity is a key indicator of arteriosclerosis, though the importance of BMI (general obesity) as an indicator may depend on the generation. Furthermore, our results suggested that abdominal circumference and WHR may have different significance as the indicators of arteriosclerosis.