美国心脏病学会在《美国心脏病学杂志》（JACC）发表的一项大规模研究表明，腰围和腰臀比等腹部脂肪分布指标比单独的体质指数（BMI）更能准确预测心血管疾病风险[1]。该研究对超过26万人进行了平均20年的随访跟踪[1]。
研究结果显示，即使BMI处于正常范围，腹部脂肪堆积过多仍会显著增加患心血管疾病的风险[1]。具体来看，BMI正常但腰围较高的人群心血管疾病风险增加15%-50%[1]。进一步分析发现，在BMI正常人群中，5%存在高腰围问题，18%的腰臀比过高；而在超重人群中，这一比例分别上升至39%和40%[1]。肥胖人群内部也存在差异，其中9%的肥胖人士腰围相对较低，但45%的腰臀比仍然偏高[1]。
JACC主编Harlan M. Krumholz建议"放弃单纯关注BMI"的评估方式[1]，这反映了学界对于改进心血管风险评估方法的共识。该研究于2026年8月11日发布[1]。
A study published in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology, demonstrates that abdominal fat distribution—measured by waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio—predicts cardiovascular disease risk more accurately than body mass index alone [1]. The research tracked data from over 260,000 individuals over an average of 20 years, revealing that individuals with normal BMI but elevated waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio face a 15% to 50% increased risk of cardiovascular disease [1].
Among those with normal BMI, 5% exhibited high waist circumference and 18% showed high waist-to-hip ratio [1]. The disparity widens in overweight populations, where 39% had high waist circumference and 40% had high waist-to-hip ratio [1]. Notably, even within obese populations, 9% maintained low waist circumference and 45% had low waist-to-hip ratio [1].
The research was led by Zeina A. Dardari with senior authorship from Michael J. Blaha of Johns Hopkins Medical School and was released on August 11, 2026 [1]. Harlan M. Krumholz, editor-in-chief of JACC and a physician at Yale Medical School, advised that focus should shift away from BMI alone [1].