Fig. 1

Causal diagram on the possible other mechanisms which the association of general and central obesity and CVD is mediated. All statistical models were based on this structure and were adjusted for age, sex, education, income, smoking status and drinking status. Because blood pressure, cholesterol and other metabolic factors presented alternative pathways potentially mediating parts of the total association, these variables were not entered as covariates in our models. The possibility of unmeasured confounding, which can never be ruled out in observational research, is indicated with dashed arrows. BMI body mass index, CVD cardiovascular disease, TyG index triglyceride-glucose index, WC Waist circumference, WHR waist-hip ratio, WHTR waist-height ratio