Association of myocardial infarction and angina pectoris with obesity and biochemical indices in the South Korean population

The best obesity index for myocardial infarction or angina pectoris (MIAP) risk assessment remains controversial. Furthermore, the association between biochemical indices and these diseases is unclear. This study examined associations of obesity and biochemical indices with MIAP in the Korean population. This large-scale cross-sectional study was based on the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey dataset from 2010 to 2019. A total of 22,509 subjects (9452 men and 13,057 women) aged ≥ 50 years were included. Participants consisted of 21,426 individuals without MIAP (men = 8869, women = 12,557) and 1083 with MIAP (men = 583, women = 500). Binary logistic regression was performed to examine the association of MIAP with obesity and biochemical indices. The prevalence of MIAP in Korean adults aged ≥ 50 years was 4.81% (6.57% among men, 3.98% among women). MIAP was more strongly associated with total cholesterol than other variables in men (adjusted OR = 0.436 [0.384–0.495], adjusted p < 0.001) and women (adjusted OR = 0.541 [0.475–0.618], adjusted p < 0.001). The waist-to-height ratio (adjusted OR = 1.325 [1.082–1.623], adjusted p = 0.007) and waist circumference (adjusted OR = 1.290 [1.072–1.553], adjusted p = 0.007) showed a significant association with MIAP in men, with no association between obesity indices and MIAP in women after adjustment. The association between biochemical indices and MIAP differed slightly according to sex. Only total cholesterol, creatinine, and platelets were associated with MIAP in both men and women.