An Individual's Degree of Adherence to CR

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

Over the weekend I put together a little piece of software which

calculates, for an individual, their degree of adherence to CR, based

on various lab test results and body measurements. Since the

equation would be different for males and females, this first effort

is designed for males only. It would be simple to modify it for

females if there was a demand for it.

It is written in a language called APL, the software for which costs

thousands of dollars to buy. So in practical terms the only way to

calculate it would be for me to have the data, enter it on my

computer here and return the result to the individual concerned.

The software works this way: as many as possible of eleven

measurements are collected and entered. For most of these variables

there are benchmark data available for both the subjects and controls

from the WUSTL study. The variables for an individual are compared

with those of the WUSTL subject average (these averages are taken as

representing 100% CR). Also on the list of variables are two items

not on the WUSTL lists. They are the ratio of waist to height, and

the ratio of waist to butt (which some ambiguously refer to as 'waist

to hip', ambiguous because the hip can be measured in more than one

place). Benchmark values for these two items I have eyeballed from

the table in the database.

To understand how 'percentage CR' is calculated, take systolic blood

pressure as an example: The WUSTL subjects had SBP averaging 99.

The WUSTL controls averaged 129. So 129 is taken to represent zero

adherence to CR for this variable, while a reading of 99 would

represent 100% CR. Other measurements for SBP score

proportionately. A reading of 114, for example, would represent 50%

CR since it is half way between 99 and 129. Any reading above 129

would represent a negative value of adherence to CR. Readings below

99 would give a result of greater than 100%.

This calculation is done for each variable and the ending result is

the average of the results for all the variables.

The full list of eleven variables included is: fasting glucose;

fasting insulin; CRP; SBP; DBP; BMI; WC/H; WC/Butt; BF%;

Triglycerides/HDL-C; and carotid IMT.

Because of the unreliability of some body metrics, especially BMI, in

measuring CR, of the four body measurements the one that yields the

highest (least favorable) result, whichever it is, is excluded when

calculating the final average.

Since most people will never have had their carotid IMT measured, or

perhaps their CRP, or their BF%, the calculation can be done with

whichever of these eleven items the individual has had measured. In

my case I haven't had blood tests done since just before I started

CRON, and probably will not have them done for another six months.

But I can still do the calculation based on the average of the five

values I do know for certain. This will give a less reliable result,

but will do fine as an approximation until the other data become

available.

Jftr, my calculation, using the five variables that I have had

measured very recently, is 71% CR. So I still have a fair way to

go. Perhaps I will get there by year end.

The purpose of writing this is to say that if any (males only for

now) person here would care to send me as many of the data they have

for the eleven variables listed above, I will undertake to do the

calculation and return the result to them. But if I get hundreds of

requests (!) it will take a while to answer them all.

We might consider adding a column for this data to Francesca's table

in the database if people feel it would be worthwhile, and if the

individuals concerned approve of their data being used.

Rodney.