Mixed
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.
For East Asians, being underweight (BMI <17.5) is associated with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular death. Aim for a BMI between 20.0 and 22.4, which is associated with the lowest risk. Avoid extreme thinness, as it may indicate underlying health issues or low muscle mass that increases CVD risk.
Elevated risk of death from cardiovascular disease was also observed at lower categories of body mass index (hazard ratio 1.19 (95% confidence interval 1.02 to 1.39) and 2.16 (1.37 to 3.40) for body mass index ranges 15.0-17.4 and <15.0, respectively), compared with the reference range.
Why this rating
Large sample size, but the number of deaths in the lowest BMI categories is smaller, leading to wider confidence intervals.
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 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.Strong
- 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
Related findings · Mixed
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- 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
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