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Abdominal fat linked to greater mortality risk

Normal-weight individuals with more abdominal fat had a greater mortality risk compared with overweight or obese individuals with normal fat distribution, according to recently published data.

Researchers analyzed data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to assess the impact of normal BMI and central obesity, defined by BMI and waist-to-hip ratio, on the risk of cardiovascular mortality. Participants included 15,184 adults aged 18 to 90 years.

Results demonstrated that normal-weight participants with central obesity had the worst long-term survival rates compared with other participants. After controlling for age and BMI, anticipated survival estimates were consistently lower among participants with central obesity, according to the researchers.  

Men of normal weight but with central obesity had an 87% higher mortality risk compared with men who had comparable BMIs but no central obesity, according to the researchers. Compared with obese and overweight men, those with normal BMI and central obesity had more than a 2-fold higher mortality risk.

Among women with a normal weight and central obesity, there was a 48% higher mortality risk compared with women of similar BMI and no central obesity. Women with central obesity had a 40% and 32% higher total mortality risk compared with overweight and obese women, respectively.

The researchers noted that health care providers should consider both BMI and central obesity when assessing patients’ adiposity-related risks.

“Our findings suggest that persons with normal-weight central obesity may represent an important target population for lifestyle modification and other preventive strategies. Future studies should focus on identifying factors associated with the development of normal-weight central obesity and better understanding the effect of normal-weight central obesity on health outcomes,” the researchers concluded. – by Casey Hower

Disclosures: Sahakyan reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.