Mixed
In East Asians, a body mass index (BMI) of 25.0 or higher is associated with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, with the lowest risk observed in the BMI range of 20.0-22.4.
If you are East Asian, maintaining a BMI between 20.0 and 22.4 is associated with the lowest risk of cardiovascular death. A BMI of 25 or higher is linked to increased risk, suggesting that standard Western 'overweight' thresholds may be too high for this demographic. Focus on maintaining a healthy weight through balanced nutrition and physical activity, rather than aiming for the lowest possible BMI, as very low BMI (<17.5) is also associated with higher CVD risk.
East Asians with a body mass index of 25 or above had a raised risk of death from overall cardiovascular disease, compared with the reference range of body mass index (values 22.5-24.9; hazard ratio 1.09 (95% confidence interval 1.03 to 1.15)...)
Why this rating
Large-scale pooled analysis of 20 prospective cohorts with over 1.1 million participants provides high statistical power and robust hazard ratios.
Source
Association between body mass index and cardiovascular disease mortality in east Asians and south Asians: pooled analysis of prospective data from the Asia Cohort Consortium
Yu Chen et al. · BMJ · 2013
DOI 10.1136/bmj.f5446
More from this paper
- In South Asians, the association between high BMI and cardiovascular disease mortality is weak and less pronounced than in East Asians, with increased risk only observed at very high BMI levels (>35).Good
- Low BMI (<17.5) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality in East Asians, creating a U-shaped relationship with CVD death.Good
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 →