TUESDAY, April 21, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- New waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) cut-offs predict the risk of hypertension better than body mass index (BMI), according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of Nutrition.
Mahidere W. Ali, from University of Eastern Finland, and colleagues examined associations between WHtR cutpoints with elevated blood pressure (BP) and hypertension. Analysis included 19,124 participants from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2015 to 2023).
The researchers found that WHtR-high fat (0.50 to <0.53) was significantly associated with elevated BP and hypertension, as was WHtR-excess fat (≥0.53). There was no association seen between overweight BMI and or obesity BMI and hypertension. In youth younger than 25 years, there was a significant association observed between both WHtR-high fat and WHtR-excess fat and elevated BP, but not hypertension. WHtR-excess fat predicted elevated BP across racial groups (non-Hispanic White, Black, and Asian individuals). Results were consistent over time.
"After demonstrating consistent associations across ethnic backgrounds, age categories and survey cycles, it is safe to conclude that WHtR-based estimates of fat mass provide a more precise and clinically meaningful indicator of hypertension risk," Ali said in a statement. "WHtR is a simple, scalable tool that can strengthen early screening and improve detection of adiposity-related cardiovascular risk."
