Application of a novel sex independent anthropometric index, termed angle index, in relation to type 2 diabetes: a Trinidadian case-control study

Objective

To develop a novel sex independent anthropometric index, termed as angle index, related to type 2 diabetes.

Design

Case–control.

Participants

The study comprised 121 participants and were divided into two groups. One group had no form of diabetes and served as controls (n=50). The other group had the condition of type 2 diabetes (n=71). 31% (n=37) of the subjects were male and 69% (n=84) were female. 62% (n=75) of the subjects were of East Indian ethnicity, 28% (n=34) were of African ethnicity and 10% (n=12) were of mixed ethnicity.

Setting

Participants of the study were from the island of Trinidad, located in the Caribbean. Patients in the study were selected at random from hospital records.

Primary outcome measure

It was hypothesised that the mean angle index of patients with type 2 diabetes would be higher than the mean angle index of patients without type 2 diabetes.

Results

Patients with type 2 diabetes had a significantly higher angle index value as compared with controls (p<0.001). Angle index was the superior sex independent anthropometric index in relation to type 2 diabetes (area under the curve=0.72; p<0.001) as compared with other sex independent variables. Angle index correlated with glycated haemoglobin (r_s=0.28, p=0.003) and fasting blood glucose (r_s=0.31, p=0.001) levels. Patients with type 2 diabetes were four times more likely to have an angle index greater than 184° (OR 4.2, 95% CI 1.8 to 9.9) as compared with controls.

Conclusion

Angle index was a superior sex independent index for discriminating between patients with and without type 2 diabetes, as compared with waist circumference, abdominal volume index, conicity index, blood pressure readings, triglyceride levels and very low-density lipoprotein levels.

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