This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Higher BMI in adolescence predicts HF in middle age
Being overweight or obese as an adolescent increases the risk for HF in middle age, according to study results published in the European Heart Journal.
“This (study) serves to underline the urgent need for action worldwide to curb the obesity epidemic,” Annika Rosengren, MD, professor/chief physician, Sahlgrenska Academy in Gothenburg, Sweden, said in a press release. “Action needs to be taken by governments as well as by individuals ... that encourages people not to be sedentary and not to eat more than they need. This is more important than hassling people into dieting.”
Annika Rosengren
Researchers aimed to find the relation between BMI in young men and risk for early hospitalization for HF. They analyzed data on 1,610,437 men (mean age at enlistment, 18.6 years) from the Swedish Conscript Registry from 1968 to 2005. The men were followed for 5 to 42 years (median, 23 years). In that time, there were 5,492 initial hospitalizations for HF. The mean age at diagnosis was 46.6 years.
Of the cohort, at the time of military enlistment, 79.6% were considered to be normal weight (BMI, 18.5-25 kg/m2), 10% were overweight (BMI, 25-30 kg/m2) and 2.3% were obese (BMI > 30 kg/m2) as categorized in the study.
Researchers estimated the risk for HF rose 16% for every ascending BMI unit. According to the findings, men with a BMI of 20 kg/m2 to 22.5 kg/m2 saw increased risk for HF (HR = 1.22; 95% CI, 1.1-1.35) compared with men with BMI of 18.5 kg/m2 to 20 kg/m2. The figures were adjusted for age, year of conscription, comorbidities at baseline, parental education levels, BP, IQ, muscle strength and fitness level.
Similarly, compared with men with BMI of 18.5 kg/m2 to 20 kg/m2, men with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 to 35 kg/m2 (HR = 6.47; 95% CI, 5.39-7.77) and those with a BMI of more than 35 kg/m2 (HR = 9.21; 95% CI, 6.57-12.92) had greatly elevated risk for HF in middle age.
Adjusted HR for HF per 1-unit increase of BMI was 1.06 (95% CI, 1.02-1.11) in HF related to valvular disease and 1.2 (95% CI, 1.18-1.22) in HF related to CHD, diabetes or hypertension, according to the researchers.
“Our findings show the importance of body weight in adolescence and suggest that more emphasis should be placed on the maintenance of a healthy body weight from an early age as a preventive measure,” Rosengren said in the release. – by James Clark
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.