BMJ 2017;357:j2033 doi: 10.1136/bmj.

j2033 (Published 2017 April 26) Page 1 of 1

Research News

RESEARCH NEWS

Waist measurement, not BMI, is stronger predictor of

death risk, study finds
Jacqui Wise
London

People with a normal body mass index (BMI) but a large waist risk for death from cardiovascular disease. The results were
circumference have worse long term survival than people who similar when men and women were analysed separately.
are overweight or obese but who do not carry their weight The researchers, from Loughborough University, said,
around the middle, a study has found. The finding, published Explaining these paradoxical findings in overweight and obese
in Annals of Internal Medicine,1 is consistent with previous persons, even in the presence of central obesity, is challenging.
research but is from a much larger sample of adults in the One possibility is that overweight and obese persons have
general population. greater amounts of subcutaneous fat in the hips and legsthat
The study included 42 702 participants from 10 years of the is, fat linked to healthier metabolic profiles.
Health Survey for England and the Scottish Health Survey. However, they noted that that the study relied on a single clinical
Participants mean age was 57.7, and 46.8% were men. The assessment and that weight histories might have been more
researchers found that 43.7% of participants were overweight informative.
(BMI 25 to <30) and 25% were obese (BMI 30).
The overall prevalence of central obesity was 53.4%defined
as a waist to hip ratio of 0.85 or higher in women and 0.90 in
men. The prevalence of central obesity among normal weight,
overweight, and obese participants was 28.7%, 60.2%, and
72.7%, respectively.
A total of 5355 people died over 383 542 person years of
follow-up. The researchers found that, when compared with the
normal weight participants without central obesity, only normal
weight and obese people with central obesity were at increased
risk for all cause mortality. Compared with overweight
participants without central obesity, their counterparts with
central obesity were at increased risk for mortality (hazard ratio
1.11 (95% confidence interval 1.01 to 1.23)). Obese participants
with central obesity were also at higher risk for mortality than
1 Hamer M, ODonovan G, Stensel D, Stamatakis E. Normal weight central obesity and
their counterparts without central obesity (1.27 (1.09 to 1.47)). risk for mortality. Ann Intern Med 2017;(Apr):1-2. doi:10.7326/L17-0022. pmid:28437799.
A total of 1720 participants died of cardiovascular disease. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already
Compared with normal weight participants without central granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/
obesity, all participants with central obesity were at increased permissions

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