Higher BMI linked with increased risk of serious health problems, finds major study
Higher BMI is associated with increased risk of developing serious health disorders and death, finds a study in over 2.8 million UK adults. The new study has shed light on the link between higher body mass index (BMI) and serious health outcomes and death.
The findings presented at the 2019 European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Glasgow, UK, indicate that adults with severe obesity class III (BMI of 40-45 kg/m2) are 12 times as likely to develop type 2 diabetes, and are at 22 times greater risk of sleep apnoea than their normal weight peers. Those individuals with obesity class I (30-35 kg/m2) are at 70% higher risk of developing heart failure.
The study analysed BMI, health, and mortality data on over 2.8 million people in UK adults (average age 51 years) between January 2000 and July 2018.
Adults with severe obesity class III (BMI of 40-45 kg/m2) are 12 times as likely to develop type 2 diabetes, and are at 22 times greater risk of sleep apnoea than their normal weight peers. Those individuals with obesity class I (30-35 kg/m2) are at 70% higher risk of developing heart failure
Study subjects were divided into five BMI groups: 18.5- c25kg/m2 (normal weight; reference group); 25-30 (overweight); 30-35 (Obesity class I); 35-40 (Obesity class II) and 40-45 (Obesity class III), and linked with hospital data to estimate the risk for 12 serious health problems. The results were adjusted for age, gender, and smoking.
Compared with normal weight individuals, adults with Obesity class I (BMI 30-35) were more than five times as likely to develop type 2 diabetes and sleep apnoea. These risks were almost 8-fold and 12-fold higher respectively in those with severe Obesity class II (35-40).
Having Obesity class III tripled the risk of heart failure, high blood pressure, and dyslipidaemia (abnormal, usually high, levels of cholesterol and other fats in the blood), and these individuals also had a 50% higher risk of dying prematurely from any cause than their normal weight counterparts.
The risk of developing serious health problems was highly dependent on whether or not individuals had any previous history of serious illness at the start of the study. For example, having high blood pressure at the start of the study was strongly associated with developing dyslipidaemia, chronic kidney disease, and type 2 diabetes. A previous cardiovascular event doubled the risk of unstable angina/heart attack, stroke/transient ischemic attack, and heart failure.
“The health risks linked with having excess body weight are particularly high for type 2 diabetes and sleep apnoea”, said author Christiane Haase from Novo Nordisk, Denmark.
“With the number of people living with obesity almost tripling worldwide over the past 30 years (105 million people in 1975 to 650 million in 2016), our findings have serious implications for public health. Body mass index represents an important modifiable risk factor for ameliorating the risk of a wide variety of serious health problems in the general population.”
