Thanks, Anna, for asking.

You can use the ABSI on its own, of course, but it helps to redress your risk preception if you use it along the BMI (in the spreadsheet it's easy to see). Your suggestion of size 18 as a threshold to possibly more risky wight territory is quite practical. I haven't thought of that. It#s because of the waist circumference for that size. But, again, it's only a rough estimate. That's why I recommend not to get hung up on BMI or any other of anthropometric metrics. It is far better to keep the MetS components on your radar. Even better is pulse wave velocity (PWV) as an early marker of vascular function and age. I have discussed this in several other articles (one is here: https://medium.com/right-to-rejuvenation/how-to-stay-biologically-young-three-provocative-findings-on-how-to-exploit-exercise-35f839958bef)

I have learned through my work with perimenopausal women that monitoring this marker is very helpful to navigate the menopausal transition successfully. With "successfully" I mean such that the inevitable decline in vascular function is minimized through appropriate lifestyle adjustments.