Mixed
In men under 65, higher BMI is a strong independent predictor of coronary heart disease, whereas in men 65 and older, BMI is a weak predictor and waist-to-hip ratio is a much stronger predictor of risk.
If you are a man over 65, do not rely on BMI alone to assess your heart disease risk. Instead, measure your waist and hip circumferences. A higher waist-to-hip ratio is a significantly stronger predictor of coronary heart disease in this age group than BMI or weight gain. If you are under 65, maintaining a lower BMI is the primary strategy to reduce risk.
These results suggest that for younger men, obesity, independent of fat distribution, is a strong risk factor for coronary heart disease. For older men, measures of fat distribution may be better than body mass index at predicting risk of coronary disease.
Why this rating
Large prospective cohort (n=29,122), long follow-up, rigorous case ascertainment, and adjustment for multiple confounders.
Source
Body Size and Fat Distribution as Predictors of Coronary Heart Disease among Middle-aged and Older US Men
Eric B. Rimm et al. · American Journal of Epidemiology · 1995
DOI 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a117385
Related findings · Mixed
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