PCD News Summary for May 11, 2017

About the Journal: Published every Thursday, Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) is a peer-reviewed online journal established by CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. The News Media Branch prepares press summary packets each week. To receive these press summaries on an embargoed basis, send an e-mail to media@cdc.gov. Please note that this e-mail list is for credentialed journalists only. All others, please visit Hookup to Health to sign up for e-mail updates.

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Obesity and Modifiable Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among Chinese Americans in New York City, 2009–2012

Elaine Meyer
elaine.meyer@nyumc.org
(646)501-2895

Data on Chinese Americans in New York City suggest that both traditional body mass index (BMI) cut points and cut points modified for the Asian population should be considered in cardiovascular disease (CVD) research among Chinese Americans. A study examining the association between BMI and CVD-related risk factors in Chinese Americans in New York City found that Chinese American adults with obesity were significantly more likely to have diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol than their normal/underweight counterparts. These finding were replicated when researchers applied not only the standard BMI cutoffs but also the BMI cutoffs modified for Asians, which consider someone overweight at a lower weight than the standard BMI scale. The modified BMI cutoffs for Asians were created by WHO Expert Consultation based on the evidence that Asians had more than double the risk of developing type 2 diabetes than whites at the same BMI. This research adds to the growing evidence supporting the use of the BMI cutoffs modified for Asians for Chinese American and possibly other Asian American populations.

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Note: Not all articles published in PCD represent work done at CDC. In your stories, please clarify whether a study was conducted by CDC (“a CDC study”) or by another institution (“a study published by CDC”). The opinions expressed by authors contributing to PCD do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CDC or the institutions with which the authors are affiliated. PCD requests that, when possible, you include a live link to the article in your stories. 

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