Table 5. Pearson correlation coefficients among changes in anthropometric indices such as WC or BW and each of metabolic risk factors.

	Age group (years)										Comparison of correlation coefficients
	All		<40		40–49		50–59		⩾60		<40 vs ⩾60	50–59 vs ⩾60
	r	P	r	P	r	P	r	P	r	P	aP	aP
Men
Correlation between ΔWC and change in BW and each of metabolic risk factors
Δ Systolic pressure	0.14	<0.001	0.14	<0.001	0.16	<0.001	0.15	<0.001	0.08	0.005	0.012	0.004
Δ Diastolic pressure	0.14	<0.001	0.16	<0.001	0.15	<0.001	0.13	<0.001	0.09	0.003	0.001	0.075
Δ Log triglycerides	0.19	<0.001	0.19	<0.001	0.21	<0.001	0.19	<0.001	0.14	<0.001	0.012	0.015
Δ HDL cholesterol	−0.18	<0.001	−0.18	<0.001	−0.17	<0.001	−0.21	<0.001	−0.14	<0.001	0.121	0.002
Δ Log FPG	0.11	<0.001	0.09	<0.001	0.15	<0.001	0.10	<0.001	0.09	0.003	1.000	0.657
Δ Number of RFs	0.13	<0.001	0.11	<0.001	0.15	<0.001	0.13	<0.001	0.11	<0.001	0.478	0.901
Δ BW	0.71	<.001	0.76	<0.001	0.74	<0.001	0.68	<0.001	0.56	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001
Correlation between ΔBW and change in each of metabolic risk factor
Δ Systolic pressure	0.18	<0.001	0.17	<0.001	0.20	<0.001	0.17	<0.001	0.18	<0.001	0.491	0.618
Δ Diastolic pressure	0.18	<0.001	0.19	<0.001	0.20	<0.001	0.17	<0.001	0.18	<0.001	0.782	0.717
Δ Log triglycerides	0.26	<0.001	0.28	<0.001	0.28	<0.001	0.23	<0.001	0.25	<0.001	0.104	0.306
Δ HDL cholesterol	−0.20	<0.001	−0.21	<0.001	−0.19	<0.001	−0.23	<0.001	−0.18	<0.001	0.127	0.022
Δ Log FPG	0.14	<0.001	0.12	<0.001	0.18	<0.001	0.10	<0.001	0.13	<0.001	0.651	0.182
Δ Number of RFs	0.17	<0.001	0.15	<0.001	0.20	<0.001	0.15	<0.001	0.16	<0.001	0.497	0.551
Women
Correlation between ΔWC and change in BW and each of metabolic risk factors
Δ Systolic pressure	0.05	0.000	0.06	0.053	0.04	0.081	0.05	0.038	0.07	0.090	0.806	0.579
Δ Diastolic pressure	0.05	0.001	0.05	0.095	0.07	0.004	0.03	0.249	0.05	0.242	0.878	0.507
Δ Log triglycerides	0.09	<0.001	0.12	<0.001	0.10	<0.001	0.09	<0.001	0.02	0.545	0.003	0.015
Δ HDL cholesterol	−0.04	0.003	−0.07	0.035	−0.04	0.105	−0.06	0.017	0.00	0.937	0.037	0.018
Δ Log FPG	0.05	0.001	0.08	0.008	0.00	0.932	0.12	<0.001	−0.04	0.362	<0.001	<0.001
Δ Number of RFs	0.06	<.001	0.08	0.007	0.07	0.007	0.07	0.007	−0.01	0.826	0.004	0.004
Δ BW	0.44	<0.001	0.48	<0.001	0.46	<0.001	0.42	<0.001	0.37	<0.001	<0.001	0.024
Correlation between ΔBW and change in each of metabolic risk factor
Δ Systolic pressure	0.13	<0.001	0.13	<0.001	0.14	<0.001	0.14	<0.001	0.07	0.066	0.059	0.019
Δ Diastolic pressure	0.10	<0.001	0.09	0.003	0.11	<0.001	0.10	<0.001	0.08	0.061	0.579	0.265
Δ Log triglycerides	0.16	<0.001	0.23	<0.001	0.16	<0.001	0.17	<0.001	0.06	0.123	<0.001	<0.001
Δ HDL cholesterol	−0.09	<0.001	−0.08	0.007	−0.13	<0.001	−0.11	<0.001	−0.03	0.519	0.075	0.002
Δ Log FPG	0.08	<0.001	0.11	0.001	0.04	<0.001	0.16	<0.001	−0.05	0.211	<0.001	<0.001
Δ Number of RFs	0.10	<0.001	0.07	0.016	0.13	<0.001	0.11	<0.001	0.05	0.232	0.032	0.424

Abbreviations: BW, body weight; FPG, fasting plasma glucose; HDL cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; MS, metabolic syndrome; RFs, risk factors were defined according to IDF criteria; WC, waist circumference.

r, correlation coefficients using simple correlation analysis between change (Δ) in WC or BW and change in (Δ) each metabolic risk factor.

^aCorrelation coefficients among each age group were compared after Fisher's z-transformation.