Mixed
In individuals with ideal cardiovascular health (high CVHS), elevated BMI (≥35.0 kg/m²) does not significantly increase the risk of incident atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) compared to normal BMI, whereas low cardiovascular health strongly predicts ASCVD regardless of BMI.
If you have ideal cardiovascular health (normal blood pressure, lipids, blood sugar, no smoking, active, healthy diet), your body weight (even if obese) may not significantly increase your risk of heart disease or stroke. Focus on maintaining these healthy habits rather than solely on weight loss.
In participants with a high CVHS (8-10), those with a BMI ≥35.0 kg/m2 had a nonsignificant higher ASCVD risk (HR=1.20 [95% CI, 0.84-1.70], p=0.32) compared to those with a BMI of 18.5-24.9 kg/m2.
Why this rating
Large prospective cohort (n=319,866) with long follow-up (median 12.5 years), though observational design limits causal inference.
Source
Sex-specific impact of body weight on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease incidence in individuals with and without ideal cardiovascular health
Audrey Paulin et al. · medRxiv · 2023
DOI 10.1101/2023.01.16.23284627
Related findings · Mixed
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