Cut-off values for anthropometric indices in predicting morbidity and mortality in Turkey: a cohort

Background Anthropometric measurements are associated with cardiovascular outcomes and mortality and the association varies by community. This study aims to estimate the incidence of cardiovascular outcomes and all cause mortality and determines their association with the anthropometric measurements. Methods The data from Turkey Chronic Diseases and Risk Factors Survey were used for the cohort which recruited two 15 years and older adults from each family physicians' list in 2011 in Turkey using simple random sampling (n = 18,477). Family physicians collected the medical history and performed anthropometric measurements. Initially healthy participants for cardiovascular morbidity (coronary heart disease (ICD-10 codes I20.0-I25.0) and stroke (ICD-10 codes I60.0-I69.0) and all participants for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were followed-up through electronic health records by 2017. Area under the curves (AUCs) were estimated and the adiposity risk was defined as cut-off points determined using Youden Index. The sample was stratified by age-groups (