Waist-to-Height Ratio and Relative Fat Mass Index Are Predictors of Diabetic Kidney Disease

Subject Areas :

Fatemeh Jafarieh ¹ , Leila Mahmoudieh ² , Behnood Abbasi ³

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Received: 2025-07-10 Accepted : 2025-12-27 Published : 2025-12-29

Keywords: Waist-to-height ratio, Relative fat-mass, Central obesity, Diabetic nephropathy, Type 2 diabetes mellitus.,

Abstract :

This study explored the association between central obesity anthropometric indices and diabetic kidney disease (DKD). In this study, 206 patients with type 2 diabetes were recruited from the Labafinezhad clinic in Tehran, Iran, using a convenience sampling method. Dietary variables were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR) and relative fat mass index (RFM) were calculated based on their formulas. The associations between WHtR and RFM, and DKD were assessed by logistic regression models. The results of the study showed that waist circumference and diabetes duration were higher in cases, and eGFR and physical activity were lower than in controls (p<0.005). There were no significant differences in age, weight, height, BMI, HbA1C, gender, education level, blood pressure, and smoking status between cases and controls. We found a positive significant association between WHtR and DKD both in the crude (OR: 120.355; 95% CI: 3.037 – 4769.930; P =0.011) and adjusted models (OR: 1984.994, 95% CI: 21.725 -181366.161); p<.001). There was no significant association between RFM and DKD in the crude model (OR: 1.014; 95% CI: 0.982 – 1.048, p = 0.392); however, after adjusting for confounders, we found a direct association between RFM and the odds of DKD (OR:1.154; CI: 1.060 – 1.256, p<.001). We found a direct association between RFM and WHtR and DKD risk in type 2 diabetic patients, so they could be used as valuable and simple indicators to predict DKD in this population.

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