{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.02347285067873303, 'fraction_numerical': 0.007635746606334841, 'mean_word_length': 5.338709677419355, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 1, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Cardiometabolic Abnormalities Among Normal-Weight Persons From Five Racial/Ethnic Groups in the United States

What is the problem and what is known about it so far? Some people with a normal weight have an increased risk for heart disease and diabetes. This increased risk may be different for people of particular racial/ethnic backgrounds. Few studies examined these risks in people of different racial/ethnic backgrounds. Why did the researchers do this particular study? To determine how many people with a normal weight have risk factors for heart disease or diabetes (also called cardiometabolic risk factors) and to see whether these risk factors are different for people in 5 racial/ethnic groups in the United States. Who was studied? 2622 white Americans, 803 Chinese Americans, 1893 African Americans, 1496 Hispanic Americans, and 803 South Asian Americans aged 44 to 84 years. The participants entered the study from 7 different cities in the United States. How was the study done? The researchers analyzed information from people who participated in 2 research studies. As part of these studies, the participants had a baseline examination that included weight, height, and blood pressure measurements, as well as laboratory tests. They also completed questionnaires that asked about exercise habits, smoking, and other lifestyle behaviors, and they had computed tomography scans of the heart and abdomen. The researchers used this information to see whether the study participants had abnormal blood cholesterol or triglyceride, high blood pressure, or high blood sugar levels. On the basis of this information, the researchers classified participants as being cardiometabolically abnormal or not. They also used the weight and height information to calculate each person's body mass index, and that number was used to identify overweight, obese, and normal-weight people. What did the researchers find? The overall rate of normal-weight, overweight, and obese people varied across the different racial/ethnic groups. Whites and Chinese Americans had the highest percentages of normal-weight people, and African Americans and Hispanic Americans had the highest percentages of people who were obese. Nearly 1 in 3 participants had a normal weight and cardiometabolic abnormalities (some combination of abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar levels). South Asians and Hispanic Americans had the highest percentages of normal-weight people with cardiometabolic abnormalities, and Chinese and African Americans had the next highest percentages. These differences were not a result of age, sex (male or female), educational level, levels of exercise, smoking status, or body fat location. White Americans had the lowest percentage of normal-weight people with cardiometabolic abnormalities. The cardiometabolic abnormalities seem to happen at a lower body weight in the nonwhite racial/ethnic groups than in white Americans. What were the limitations of the study? The researchers could not determine whether people's diet was related to cardiometabolic abnormalities. What are the implications of the study? A high percentage of normal-weight people have cardiometabolic abnormalities, and these percentages vary across different racial/ethnic groups. These findings suggest that people in many racial/ethnic groups have a high risk for cardio-metabolic abnormalities even if they have a normal weight. People should follow a healthy diet and lifestyle even if their weight is normal.