Central Obesity and Comorbidity Risk in Hemodialysis Patients: A Cross Sectional Study in Lebanon

Introduction: Abdominal deposition of fat has been described as the type of obesity that offers the greatest risk for the health of individuals, and is associated with increased mortality, and morbidity. Conicity index (Ci), Body mass index (BMI), and waist hip ratio (WHR) are used to predict the risk of obesity related diseases. However, it has not been examined whether these indicators can predict the comorbidities in hemodialysis subjects in Lebanon. Objective: to determine the effect of central obesity on comorbidities in hemodialysis patients in Lebanon. Material and Method: This is a cross-sectional study of obesity in 60 hemodialysis subjects in Lebanon. A linear regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between BMI, Ci, WHR, and comorbidities measured by Charlson (CCI) and Davies comorbidities indexes. Results: Ci values were significantly associated with age, and CCI; the abdominal fat deposition evaluated by the conicity index and WHR were a predictor of the comorbidities according to CCI ( = 2.96; p = 0.01), and Davies comorbidity index ( = 1.19; p = 0.05) scores. BMI was a weak predictor of comorbidity. Conclusion: Abdominal obesity by using simple anthropometric measurements, e.g., Ci and WHR values can similarly predict the presence of comorbidities in hemodialysis patients. Maintaining appropriate Ci and WHR values might be important to improve outcome in hemodialysis patients.