The Relationship between Obesity Level and High-sensitivity C-reactive Protein in Adult Women: Using by Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Objectives: This study examines the association between obesity markers (body mass index, BMI and waist circumference, WC) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) using data from 2,734 adult women aged 19 years or older from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Methods: The mean hs-CRP levels in relation to BMI and WC was compared using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), while sequentially adjusting for general characteristics (Model 1), health-related variables (Model 2), and clinical variables (Model 3). The statistical significance was set at <i>p</i> < 0.05. Results: Both BMI and WC were significantly associated with hs-CRP levels. However, WC was more strongly associated with elevated hs-CRP levels than was BMI as the degree of obesity increased. Participants with a WC of ≥ 100.0 cm presented higher hs-CRP levels (3.3 [0.3] mg/L) compared to those with a BMI of ≥ 30.0 kg/m² (2.1 [0.3] mg/L). Conclusions: While a WC ≥ 85.0 cm is currently used to define abdominal obesity, the marked increase in hs-CRP levels observed at WC ≥ 100.0 cm highlights the need for revised criteria for severe obesity. Incorporating inflammatory markers and WC into a multidimensional framework could improve the assessment of obesity-related risks.