EVALUATING THE EFFICACY OF VISCERAL ADIPOSITY INDEX (VAI) AS A PREDICTOR OF CARDIOMETABOLIC RISK FACTORS: A COMPARATIVE COMMUNITY-BASED STUDY AMONG INDUSTRIAL WORKERS IN WEST BENGAL AND GUJARAT
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Keywords
Visceral Adiposity Index, Cardiometabolic Risk, Industrial Workers, Durgapur, Ahmedabad, Metabolic Syndrome.
Abstract
Background: Industrial workers in India face a heightened risk of cardiometabolic diseases due to sedentary occupational stress and rapid lifestyle transitions. While Body Mass Index (BMI) is widely used, it often misses "metabolically obese" individuals. This study evaluates the efficacy of the Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI)—a mathematical model integrating anthropometric and biochemical parameters—as a predictor of cardiometabolic risk factors among industrial cohorts in West Bengal and Gujarat.
Methods: A comparative community-based cross-sectional study was conducted involving 600 industrial workers (300 from Durgapur, West Bengal, and 300 from Ahmedabad, Gujarat). Physiological assessments included blood pressure, waist circumference, and BMI. Biochemical analysis for fasting blood glucose and lipid profiles (TG and HDL) was performed to calculate the VAI. Cardiometabolic risk was defined by the presence of hypertension, dyslipidemia, or impaired fasting glucose.
Results: The mean VAI was significantly higher in the Ahmedabad cohort ($4.1 \pm 1.2$) compared to the Durgapur cohort ($3.6 \pm 1.4, p < 0.05$). Across both regions, VAI showed a stronger positive correlation with systolic blood pressure ($r = 0.58$) and fasting glucose ($r = 0.62$) than BMI ($r = 0.34$). Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that VAI had a superior Area Under the Curve (AUC = 0.86) for predicting metabolic syndrome compared to waist circumference alone (AUC = 0.72).
Conclusion: VAI is a more potent and gender-specific indicator of cardiometabolic risk than traditional anthropometric measures in Indian industrial workers. Incorporating VAI into routine occupational health screenings can facilitate earlier identification of high-risk individuals, allowing for targeted primary prevention in these vital economic hubs.
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Dr. Maushumi Barthakur
Assistant Professor, Department Of Physiology, Iq-City Medical College, Durgapur
Dr. Maddali Venkata Lakshmi Prathyusha
Assistant Professor, Department Of Ent, Gouri Devi Institute Of Medical Science And Hospital, Durgapur
Dr. Chaudhary Milan
Assistant Professor, Department Of Community Medicine, Sal Institute Of Medical Sciences, Ahmedabad
