Title: Association of “A Body Shape Index” with the risk of developing colorectal cancer in
U.S. patients with metabolic syndrome: Evidence from the NHANES 1999-2018
Version: 1 Date: 20 Aug 2024
Reviewer's report:
The submitted manuscript by Kurexi et al is on the association between a novel index A Body
Shape Index (ABSI) and the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) among patients with metabolic
syndrome. Although it is interesting, the manuscript critically lacks the rationale for using this
index that is simply reflecting waist circumference divided by some variation of BMI and height.
This manuscript does not seem to add any value to the literature unless the authors reinforce
their rationale for using this index.
Some specific points:
--How ABSI is calculated or at least what it is should be written explicitly in the Methods section
of the Abstract and also recommended to introduce the concept in the Introduction (i.e., write a
paragraph about ABSI and introduce what it is and how it is calculated in the Introduction).
--ABSI is calculated WC/(#BMI#^(2/3)×#height#^(1/2) ), and the authors explained this index
to “accurately evaluate abdominal fat distribution independent of BMI, focusing on WC relative
to height and weight.” How is this independent of BMI when BMI is in fact included in the
equation? Also, BMI itself has height in its formula, so the denominator somehow has two
heights. With the 2/3 and ½ power to BMI and height, I do not completely understand what it
is doing, and neither will the readers. While the readers could go back to the original Krakauer
paper, authors should fully explain this in this manuscript given how this index is not generally
used. Also, the authors need to more fully explain the rationale for using this index.
--Additionally, was ABSI used to look at the association with other outcomes? In the Discussion,
cite any other published articles that used ABSI.
--What model was fit to obtain ROC? Explain in the Methods.
Title: Association of “A Body Shape Index” with the risk of developing colorectal cancer in
U.S. patients with metabolic syndrome: Evidence from the NHANES 1999-2018
Version: 1 Date: 20 Aug 2024
Reviewer's report:
The submitted manuscript by Kurexi et al is on the association between a novel index A Body
Shape Index (ABSI) and the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) among patients with metabolic
syndrome. Although it is interesting, the manuscript critically lacks the rationale for using this
index that is simply reflecting waist circumference divided by some variation of BMI and height.
This manuscript does not seem to add any value to the literature unless the authors reinforce
their rationale for using this index.
Some specific points:
--How ABSI is calculated or at least what it is should be written explicitly in the Methods section
of the Abstract and also recommended to introduce the concept in the Introduction (i.e., write a
paragraph about ABSI and introduce what it is and how it is calculated in the Introduction).
--ABSI is calculated WC/(#BMI#^(2/3)×#height#^(1/2) ), and the authors explained this index
to “accurately evaluate abdominal fat distribution independent of BMI, focusing on WC relative
to height and weight.” How is this independent of BMI when BMI is in fact included in the
equation? Also, BMI itself has height in its formula, so the denominator somehow has two
heights. With the 2/3 and ½ power to BMI and height, I do not completely understand what it
is doing, and neither will the readers. While the readers could go back to the original Krakauer
paper, authors should fully explain this in this manuscript given how this index is not generally
used. Also, the authors need to more fully explain the rationale for using this index.
--Additionally, was ABSI used to look at the association with other outcomes? In the Discussion,
cite any other published articles that used ABSI.
--What model was fit to obtain ROC? Explain in the Methods.
Please review this paper.
user
Title: Association of “A Body Shape Index” with the risk of developing colorectal cancer in
U.S. patients with metabolic syndrome: Evidence from the NHANES 1999-2018
Version: 1 Date: 20 Aug 2024
Reviewer's report:
The submitted manuscript by Kurexi et al is on the association between a novel index A Body
Shape Index (ABSI) and the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) among patients with metabolic
syndrome. Although it is interesting, the manuscript critically lacks the rationale for using this
index that is simply reflecting waist circumference divided by some variation of BMI and height.
This manuscript does not seem to add any value to the literature unless the authors reinforce
their rationale for using this index.
Some specific points:
--How ABSI is calculated or at least what it is should be written explicitly in the Methods section
of the Abstract and also recommended to introduce the concept in the Introduction (i.e., write a
paragraph about ABSI and introduce what it is and how it is calculated in the Introduction).
--ABSI is calculated WC/(#BMI#^(2/3)×#height#^(1/2) ), and the authors explained this index
to “accurately evaluate abdominal fat distribution independent of BMI, focusing on WC relative
to height and weight.” How is this independent of BMI when BMI is in fact included in the
equation? Also, BMI itself has height in its formula, so the denominator somehow has two
heights. With the 2/3 and ½ power to BMI and height, I do not completely understand what it
is doing, and neither will the readers. While the readers could go back to the original Krakauer
paper, authors should fully explain this in this manuscript given how this index is not generally
used. Also, the authors need to more fully explain the rationale for using this index.
--Additionally, was ABSI used to look at the association with other outcomes? In the Discussion,
cite any other published articles that used ABSI.
--What model was fit to obtain ROC? Explain in the Methods.
assistant