Are Abdominal Obese Metabolically Healthy Phenotype a Benign Condition? Protocol for a Systematic Review

The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide. Obesity is associated with severe health effects. Abdominal obesity has a strong association with metabolic dysfunction. A subgroup of people with central obesity has been identified without typical metabolic disorders associated with obesity that has been known metabolically healthy abdominal obese (MHAO). The purpose of this review is to evaluate the MHAO phenotype in the context of type 2 DM incidence, risk of cardiovascular diseases, and all‑cause of mortality.

This is a protocol of systematic review. We will search PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and ProQuest. Additional studies will be identified through manual searching of reference lists. Quantitative studies evaluating abdominal obesity phenotype outcomes in adults will be included. Primary results will be assaying abdominal obesity phenotype results, including DM2 incidence, cardiovascular disease risk, and all‑cause mortality. Two reviewers will independently screen full‑text articles and abstract data. Statistical Analysis Used: Potential conflicts will be resolved through discussion.

The study methodological quality (or bias) will be appraised using appropriate tools. If feasible, we will conduct a random‑effects meta‑analysis. The researchers will also assess the quality of the articles independently based on Newcastle‑Ottawa scale.

The results of this review will provide a useful reference for the effect of abdominal obesity on metabolic dysfunction and cardiovascular or all‑cause mortality