Body Mass Index and Mortality in Nonsmoking Older Adults: the Cardiovascular Health Study

Overview

Journal Am J Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 1998 Apr 29

PMID 9551005

Citations 48

Authors

P Diehr

D E Bild

T B Harris

A Duxbury

D Siscovick

M Rossi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: This study assesses the relationship of body mass index to 5-year mortality in a cohort of 4317 nonsmoking men and women aged 65 to 100 years.

Methods: Logistic regression analyses were conducted to predict mortality as a function of baseline body mass index, adjusting for demographic, clinical, and laboratory covariates.

Results: There was an inverse relationship between body mass index and mortality; death rates were higher for those who weighed the least. Inclusion of covariates had trivial effects on these results. People who had lost 10% or more of their body weight since age 50 had a relatively high death rate. When that group was excluded, there was no remaining relationship between body mass index and mortality.

Conclusions: The association between higher body mass index and mortality often found in middle-aged populations was not observed in this large cohort of older adults. Over-weight does not seem to be a risk factor for 5-year mortality in this age group. Rather, the risks associated with significant weight loss should be the primary concern.

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