Novel anthropometric indices for predicting diabetes mellitus: A population-based study.

Fifteen percent of study participants had type 2 diabetes.

• Total sample size was 10,663 participants
• Participants were Iranian adults between 40 and 70 years from the Kharameh cohort study
• Cross-sectional design using baseline data from the cohort
• Diabetic group had significantly higher anthropometric indices than the non-diabetic group

WHR was the best-performing anthropometric index for predicting type 2 diabetes.

• Optimal cutoff point was WHR >0.95 for both sexes
• WHR outperformed all other indices including BMI, WHtR, ABSI, BRI, and BAI
• ROC curves were used to determine sensitivity and specificity of each index
• The finding underscores the role of body fat distribution, particularly central or abdominal obesity, in predicting diabetes risk

BMI and BAI were the least accurate anthropometric indices for predicting type 2 diabetes.

• Both BMI and BAI had AUCs of less than 60% for both sexes
• These two traditional and novel indices respectively showed poor discriminatory ability
• Six indices total were evaluated: BMI, WHR, WHtR, ABSI, BRI, and BAI

All anthropometric indices were significantly associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

• Statistical analysis was performed using independent t-tests and logistic regression
• Associations were examined separately in men and women
• Anthropometric indices were significantly higher in the diabetic group than in the non-diabetic group
• Gender was examined as a modifier of the association between anthropometric indices and diabetes

Novel anthropometric indices did not consistently outperform traditional measures for diabetes prediction in this population.

• Novel indices evaluated included ABSI, BRI, and BAI
• Traditional indices evaluated included BMI and WHR
• WHR, a traditional index, performed best overall
• BAI, a novel index, performed among the worst with AUC <60% for both sexes
• The study aimed to evaluate predictive power of novel indices compared with traditional ones