ETHNOMEDICINAL KNOWLEDGE TO EVIDENCE-BASED THERAPEUTICS: CONTEMPORARY ADVANCES IN PHARMACOGENETIC EVALUATION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS

Abstract

Background: Metabolic syndrome is a major cardiometabolic health problem, and simple anthropometric measures may facilitate early identification of individuals at increased metabolic risk. Body mass index (BMI) reflects overall adiposity, whereas waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and neck circumference (NC) provide information regarding regional adiposity. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 200 adults attending a tertiary care hospital over a six-month period. Demographic and clinical information was collected using a structured proforma. BMI, WC, WHtR and NC were measured using standardized anthropometric techniques. Blood pressure was recorded, and fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol were estimated. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to harmonized criteria. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed, followed by correlation analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and logistic regression. Diagnostic performance was assessed using area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity and optimal cut-off values. Results: Metabolic syndrome was identified in 93 (46.5%) participants. BMI, WC, WHtR and NC were significantly higher among participants with metabolic syndrome than those without it (p<0.001 for all comparisons). All four anthropometric indices demonstrated significant positive correlations with fasting glucose and triglycerides and inverse correlations with HDL-cholesterol. WHtR demonstrated the highest discriminatory performance for metabolic syndrome, with an AUC of 0.852 (95% CI: 0.801–0.903), followed by WC (AUC 0.816), BMI (AUC 0.797) and NC (AUC 0.712). The optimal WHtR cut-off was >0.529, with 72.0% sensitivity and 86.0% specificity. In adjusted logistic regression analysis, WC demonstrated the strongest independent association with metabolic syndrome (OR 8.63, 95% CI: 4.59–16.23). Conclusion: WHtR demonstrated the best overall discriminatory performance, while WC showed the strongest independent association with metabolic syndrome. These measures may complement BMI in identifying adults requiring further metabolic assessment, while NC may serve as an additional simple anthropometric marker.