BMI, Waist measurement, Pushups
Cardiovascular Health Predictors (Non-Invasive) *disclaimer – go see a medical professional if you have concerns and this post is meant to inform. Body mass index is a common measure among the medical community that takes a person’s weight in kilograms and divides it by their height in meter squared (kg/m^2). A person’s BMI score has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and adverse health conditions (1). Although, BMI doesn’t account for what makes up the mass of your body, it is an important consideration and should be used with measures to better understand a person’s health. Another measurement is waist circumference. Yes, this matters and has its own association to heart disease, but clinically more valuable as an objective measure and understanding BMI. (2,3). The next layer of depth is the waist-hip ratio (3,4). This is associated with greater risk for diabetes, strokes, and coronary artery disease. A recent study published in 2019 compared male fire fighters and their maximal push ability to the occurrence of cardiovascular disease and found a significant association (5). To my knowledge there is no objective measure and comparable values based on this study. In all, gathering these quick non-invasive measures on ones health takes the whole person into account. Understanding these measures with their vitals a picture of the person’s cardiovascular health starts to come together. In my opinion an experienced clinician could finish all of these measurements under 5 minutes, with exception of the push up test. BMI 25-30-40 | Waist circumference 40” m, 35” w | W/H ratio: 0.9 m, 0.85w | Max Push up ability 40 push ups16w
Sources:
1. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199910073411501
2. https://www.bmj.com/content/311/6998/158.full
3. https://www.bmj.com/content/311/7017/1401.full
4. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/44583/9789241501491_eng.pdf
5. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/article-abstract/2724778
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