Predicting metabolic syndrome by lipid accumulation product, visceral adiposity index and body roundness index in Brazilian rural workers

Abstract

Background

Anthropometric indicators, such as the Lipid Accumulation Product (LAP), the Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI), and the Body Roundness Index (BRI), could be valuable tools for identifying metabolic syndrome (MS) in rural populations because of their simplicity, low cost, and ability to identify central obesity and related metabolic risks where access to healthcare is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive capacity of three anthropometric indices for identifying MS in a representative sample of rural workers in Espírito Santo, Brazil.

Methods

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted, and the diagnostic performance of these indices was assessed via ROC curves under the NCEP and IDF criteria for MS. The study involved 806 participants, aged 18–59 years, and the data collection included anthropometric measurements, biochemical tests, and blood pressure assessments.

Results

The results showed that LAP had the highest discriminatory capacity for MS under both diagnostic criteria, with AUCs of 0.803 (NCEP) and 0.885 (IDF), followed by BRI and VAI. The cutoff points identified for LAP were 33.84 (NCEP) and 26.80 (IDF), with high sensitivity and specificity. The BRI also demonstrated strong predictive power with AUC values above 0.7, whereas the VAI had the lowest AUC among the indices but remained a useful predictor. The correlations between the indices and MS components highlighted significant relationships, especially between LAP and triglycerides (r = 0.830).

Conclusions

This is the first study to determine cutoff points for these indices in a rural Brazilian population, suggesting that LAP and BRI are reliable tools for MS screening. The low cost of these methods could aid in improving healthcare accessibility and prevention strategies in rural areas with limited resources. Future research is recommended to validate these findings in other populations.