Authors
Diehr P. Bild DE. Harris TB. Duxbury A. Siscovick D. Rossi M.
Institution
Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, USA.
Title
Body mass index and
mortality in nonsmoking older adults: the Cardiovascular
Health Study.
Source
American Journal of Public Health. 88(4):623-9, 1998 Apr.
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.