Age-adjusted cut-off values of lipid accumulation product (LAP) for predicting hypertension

Among the many factors considered relevant to hypertension, obesity and metabolic disturbances play an important role in the development of this pathology. Therefore, lipid accumulation product (LAP), an index of visceral adiposity, is a simple and effective indicator of hypertension risk. To date, the reference and cut-off values for LAP have not been defined. The aim of the study was to determine the age-adjusted optimal cut-off values of LAP for the prediction of hypertension risk. This cross-sectional case–control study comprised 1960 subjects ranging from 20 to 64 years of age. The participants underwent anthropometric tests, blood pressure measurements, questionnaire surveys and laboratory examinations. The cut-off values of LAP were determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. According to our study results, LAP values in healthy subjects increased with age, whereas there was no effect of age on LAP values in patients with hypertension. These two findings determine the presence of age-adjusted cut-off values of LAP for diagnosing hypertension. Increasing age is associated with an increase in the cut-off values of LAP to detect hypertension. In conclusion, hypertension risk should be estimated using the age-adjusted cut-off values of LAP; otherwise, the risk of hypertension might be overestimated or underestimated.