Mixed
In older adults (aged 65-100), central adiposity measures (specifically waist/hip ratio) and midlife BMI are significant independent predictors of coronary heart disease risk, whereas general adiposity (baseline BMI) loses significance after adjusting for mediators.
For adults over 65, tracking waist circumference and hip circumference (to calculate waist/hip ratio) and recalling body mass index at age 50 provides a more accurate assessment of coronary heart disease risk than current body weight or BMI alone. If you have a higher waist-to-hip ratio or were overweight in midlife, your risk remains elevated even if your current BMI is normal.
For coronary heart disease, there were significant positive adjusted associations for all adiposity measures... the highest effect estimates were for waist/hip ratio (hazard ratio = 1.56... ) and BMI50 (hazard ratio = 1.71...), both of which remained significant after adjustment for mediators, BMI, or each other.
Why this rating
Large longitudinal cohort (n=3,754), long follow-up (median 14 years), rigorous adjudication of outcomes, but observational design limits causal inference.
Source
Measures of Adiposity and Future Risk of Ischemic Stroke and Coronary Heart Disease in Older Men and Women
Jorge R. Kizer et al. · American Journal of Epidemiology · 2010
DOI 10.1093/aje/kwq311
Related findings · Mixed
- Bariatric surgery (VSG and RYGB) is the most effective and sustainable treatment for obesity, producing marked and sustained weight loss that non-surgical interventions cannot match.Strong
- Severely protein-deficient diets (2–3% energy) induce lean body mass loss and metabolic imbalance, whereas adequate protein intake (0.66 g/kg/d minimum) is a prerequisite for maintaining muscle, bone, and physiological function.Strong
- For patients with Class III obesity (BMI >39.9 kg/m2), metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) is significantly more effective than any currently approved medication, with BilioPancreatic Diversion (BPD) showing the highest estimated weight loss.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →