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Body mass index and mortality from ischaemic heart disease in a lean population: 10 year prospective study of 220,000 adult men.

Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Increased body mass index (BMI) is known to be related to ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in populations where many are overweight (BMI>or=25 kg/m2) or obese (BMI>or=30). Substantial uncertainty remains, however, about the relationship between BMI and IHD in populations with lower BMI levels. METHODS: We examined the data from a population-based, prospective cohort study of 222,000 Chinese men aged 40-79. Relative and absolute risks of death from IHD by baseline BMI were calculated, standardized for age, smoking, and other potential confounding factors. RESULTS: The mean baseline BMI was 21.7 kg/m2, and 1942 IHD deaths were recorded during 10 years of follow-up (6.5% of all such deaths). Among men without prior vascular diseases at baseline, there was a J-shaped association between BMI and IHD mortality. Above 20 kg/m2 there was a positive association of BMI with risk, with each 2 kg/m2 higher in usual BMI associated with 12% (95% CI 6-19%, 2P=0.0001) higher IHD mortality. Below this BMI range, however, the association appeared to be reversed, with risk ratios of 1.00, 1.09, and 1.15, respectively, for men with BMI 20-21.9, 18-19.9, and <18 kg/m2. The excess IHD risk observed at low BMI levels persisted after restricting analysis to never smokers or excluding the first 3 years of follow-up, and became about twice as great after allowing for blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Lower BMI is associated with lower IHD risk among people in the so-called normal range of BMI values (20-25 kg/m2), but below that range the association may well be reversed.
Publication status:
Published

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Publisher copy:
10.1093/ije/dyi215

Authors


More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MSD
Department:
Nuffield Department of Population Health
Sub department:
Clinical Trial Service Unit
Role:
Author


Journal:
International journal of epidemiology More from this journal
Volume:
35
Issue:
1
Pages:
141-150
Publication date:
2006-02-01
DOI:
EISSN:
1464-3685
ISSN:
0300-5771


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
pubs:33287
UUID:
uuid:384d1edc-1786-4984-8949-82e1a793bd46
Local pid:
pubs:33287
Source identifiers:
33287
Deposit date:
2012-12-19

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