Associations Between Body Roundness Index and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Indices Among First Responders?

Authors

Raed Alfaleet, Sam Houston State UniversityFollow
Samantha Umfrid, Sam Houston State University, HuntsvilleFollow
Michael Conner, Bond UniversityFollow
Steven E. Martin, Texas A&M University, College StationFollow
Matthew J. McAllisterFollow
Lisa C. Colvin, Texas A&M University, College Station, TXFollow
Drew E. GonzalezFollow

Abstract

First responders are in critical need of simple and cost-effective methods for pragmatic health assessments to help mitigate the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The Body Roundness Index (BRI) has emerged over the last decade as a potential tool for assessing overall health. However, this method has yet to be applied among first responder groups. PURPOSE: We compared CVD risk biomarkers across BRI quartile groups. METHODS: Archival data for 170 (n = 170) first responders were analyzed from annual clinical testing. The BRI was used categorically; participants were grouped into quartiles as follows: Q1 (<3.1), Q2 (3.1 – 3.7), Q3 (3.7 – 4.6), and Q4 (>4.6). To calculate the BRI, we employed the 2013 Thomas and colleagues’ equation, which includes waist circumference (Wc) and height (Ht) in the following formula: BRI = (364.2) – (365.5) x square root [1 – ((Wc/2π)² / (Ht/2)²]. Blood and salivary biomarkers were analyzed to assess CVD risk. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between BRI and the following blood and salivary biomarkers: advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), C-reactive protein (CRP), blood cortisol (CORT), salivary cortisol (sCORT), and salivary α-amylase (AA). Unstandardized (b) coefficients were reported. Given previous findings from our group showing that body fat percentage and central adiposity predict inflammation (CRP), a hierarchical OLS regression was conducted to determine whether BRI explains additional variance in inflammatory markers beyond traditional body composition measures. RESULTS: The OLS regression analysis revealed BRI was positively associated with CRP (b = 0.040, p < 0.001). However, there were no associations with AOPP (b = 3.672, p = 0.525), CORT (b = -0.033, p = 0.928), sCORT (b = -0.006, p = 0.680), or AA (b = -1.127, p = 0.708). The hierarchical model indicated that BRI did not provide a significant incremental contribution beyond body fat (ΔR² = 0.008, p = 0.250) or android body fat distribution (ΔR² = 0.006, p = 0.311). CONCLUSION: Higher BRI correlated with increased CRP, but it didn't independently predict inflammation after accounting for total and regional body fat. BRI offers similar insights as other adiposity measures. It can serve as a simple screening tool but should be used alongside standard body composition metrics when assessing cardiometabolic health responders.

Recommended Citation

Alfaleet, Raed; Umfrid, Samantha; Conner, Michael; Martin, Steven E.; McAllister, Matthew J.; Colvin, Lisa C.; and Gonzalez, Drew E. (2026) "Associations Between Body Roundness Index and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Indices Among First Responders?," International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 2: Iss. 18, Article 18.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol2/iss18/18