Body mass index and mortality in South Korean men resulting from cardiovascular disease: a Kangwha cohort study.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine the association of body mass index (BMI) with death caused by total cardiovascular disease in a long-term follow-up study.


METHODS
We followed a total of 2608 men who were 55 years or older in 1985 from March 1985 through December 2001 to investigate their mortality. The hazard ratios of mortality as the result of cardiovascular disease by BMI level were estimated with the Cox proportional hazards model, adjusting for relevant covariates.


RESULTS
For the group with a BMI >/= 27 kg/m(2) compared with the reference group (BMI, 21.0-22.9), the adjusted hazard ratio of death resulting from total cardiovascular disease was 2.4 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5-3.9) and that of death resulting from cerebrovascular disease was 3.6 (95% CI, 2.0-6.3). Observing nonsmoking subjects only, the BMI <18.5 kg/m(2) group had a 4.6 times (95% CI, 1.8-11.8) greater risk of death attributed to total cardiovascular disease than the reference group and a 4.7 times (95% CI, 1.4-16.2) greater risk of death from cerebrovascular disease.


CONCLUSIONS
This study defined that BMI is related to Korean male deaths caused by total cardiovascular disease. The risk of death attributed to total cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease was significantly increased in the group, with a BMI >/=27 kg/m(2). In our study, in the case of nonsmokers, low BMI was shown to be related to deaths from cardiovascular disease. Such result is different from those of previous studies.
Hong
Jae Seok
JS
Department of Research, Health Insurance Review Agency, Seoul, Korea.
Yi
Sang-Wook
SW
Kang
Hee Chung
HC
Ohrr
Heechoul
H
D000368:Aged; D000383:Agriculture; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D009790:Occupations; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013851:Thinness / Q000150:complications*