Central Obesity Tied to Increased CV Mortality Risk in Normal-Weight Adults

By Jenni Whalen

Edited by Jaye Elizabeth Hefner, MD

Patients who have normal body mass index but central obesity are at high risk for cardiovascular mortality, according to an Annals of Internal Medicine study.

Using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, researchers studied more than 15,000 adults with BMIs greater than 18.5.

After a mean follow-up of 14 years, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), but not BMI, was associated with higher overall mortality risk. Among men with normal BMI, those with central obesity had an 87% higher total mortality risk than men without central obesity. Similarly, women with normal-weight central obesity had a 48% higher mortality risk than women with similar BMI but no central obesity.

An editorialist concludes: "To better target persons at greatest risk, such as those who already have excess or increasing levels of adiposity or those with disproportionate abdominal fat in relation to BMI, these new data provide evidence that clinicians should look beyond BMI."