Body measurements such as BMI, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio are not useful in calculating cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk when details of other risk factors are available, a Cambrige University study has found.

In an analysis of 58 studies with more than 221,000 participants, researchers found all three measurements did not improve CVD risk prediction, either when used alone or in combination, when data on other risk factors (such as smoking status, diabetes, systolic blood pressure and cholesterol) were available.

Ultimately, "simple adiposity measures provide little or no additional information on cardiovascular risk," the authors concluded.

However, the authors warned that the study, published in The Lancet, did not mean adiposity was not a major modifiable cause of CVD, as it was still a risk factor for developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.