This index has been developed to try to correct the inaccuracy of the BMI which is the subject of debate in the medical world in recent years because it is not appropriate for all patients.
Indeed, BMI does not distinguish body fat from the non fat that can result in muscle mass. This is particularly the case among athletes and bodybuilders. BMI also fails to take account of the bone and fat distribution that vary by age and ethnicity, among others.
To see if they could design a better index, the researchers used data from a research project being conducted among 1733 people of Mexican descent whose mother had suffered from gestational diabetes .
After analyzing a series of variables, they found that the circumference of the hips and greatness are the best variables to estimate body fat of a real person, both in men than in women.
This new index has been validated using data from another research project underway for which the 223 participants are subjects of Afro-American. For researchers, this means that the IMA seems to resist, at least prima facie, variations related to ethnicity as observed with BMI. Further studies are needed to confirm, especially among people of Asian and Caucasian.
Little evidence so far
If this new index is simple and interesting, remain to be proven, says Dr. Paul Poirier, Institute of Cardiology and Pneumology Hospital Laval in Quebec."The BMI is not perfect, but it is useful in predicting risk of cardiovascular events," he recalls. For now, it remains unclear whether this is also the case for EPI, because no study has yet been made. "
Certainly, BMI has limitations that have led many scientists to search for a new measure of body fat can assess the risks of suffering from diabetes , to hypertension and other heart disease in adults and children.
"It can however be used in complementarity with other measures such as waist circumference, to refine the assessment. It remains simple and convenient, "said Dr. Poirier.
