Waist-to-Height Ratio Is Associated With the Risk of Coronary Artery Disease in Type 1 Diabetes: A 19-Year Cohort Study

Obesity, kidney disease, and coronary artery disease (CAD) are interconnected. Here, the relationship between central obesity and CAD across albuminuria categories in type 1 diabetes was investigated. Data on 4,349 individuals without prior CAD from the Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy Study were analyzed. Central obesity was defined as waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) ≥0.5. Outcomes included acute myocardial infarction, coronary revascularizations, and CAD-related death. Associations were assessed with Cox regression adjusted for baseline covariates. Over a median 19-year follow-up, 664 CAD events (15.3%) occurred. The 10- and 20-year cumulative CAD incidences were 11.6% and 25.3%, respectively, in those with central obesity versus 4.4% and 9.9% without, respectively. In multivariable analysis, the hazard ratio for CAD per 0.1-unit WHtR increase was 1.21 (95% CI, 1.06-1.38); P = 0.006) overall and 1.26 (95% CI, 1.02-1.56; P = 0.03) among those without albuminuria. In conclusion, WHtR is associated with increased CAD risk in type 1 diabetes, particularly among those without albuminuria.