# Cardiovascular risk assessed by the conicity index in Brazilian adults: findings from the national health survey

## TL;DR

This study shows that the Conicity Index is a useful tool for assessing cardiovascular risk in Brazilian adults, especially in women and those with lower income or education.

## Contribution

The study provides new evidence on the use of the Conicity Index in a large, nationally representative Brazilian sample to assess cardiovascular risk.

## Key findings

- 39.6% of Brazilian adults had elevated cardiovascular risk based on the Conicity Index.
- Women had a significantly higher rate of cardiovascular risk compared to men.
- Cardiovascular risk was associated with lower education, income, and physical inactivity.

## Abstract

Anthropometric indices such as the Conicity Index (C-Index) are emerging as accessible tools to assess cardiovascular risk associated with central adiposity, a key determinant of cardiovascular disease burden in low and middle-income countries.

To estimate the prevalence of cardiovascular risk using the CI and examine its association with sociodemographic and lifestyle factors in a nationally representative sample of Brazilian adults.

In this cross-sectional study using data from the 2013 Brazilian National Health Survey (n = 42,693; ages 30–74), cardiovascular risk was defined based on sex-specific CI cut-off points.

The overall prevalence of elevated cardiovascular risk was 39.6%, with a significantly higher rate among women (64.6%) compared to men (35.4%). Increased age, lower education, lower income, poor self-rated health, and physical inactivity were independently associated with greater cardiovascular risk, with regional and sex-based differences observed.

The CI proved to be a practical, non-invasive measure strongly associated with key social determinants of health and behavioral risk factors. These findings support its integration into public health monitoring and preventive strategies to identify at-risk groups, particularly in resource-constrained settings.