You can have a ‘normal’ BMI and still carry extra risk BMI is calculated using your weight and height. Among people classified as overweight, 39 per cent had a high waist circumference and 40 per cent had a high waist-to-hip ratio. Your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, physical activity, diet, smoking history, family history and other medical factors all contribute to cardiovascular risk. It highlights the limitations of using one measurement to describe something as complex as body composition and cardiovascular risk. Or you might have a higher BMI without that telling the complete story about your cardiovascular health.