Association between body mass index and mortality in an 80-year-old population.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association between body mass index (BMI) and all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in an 80-year-old population.


METHODS
Cohort study.


METHODS
Community-based.


METHODS
Six hundred ninety-seven of 1,282 (54.4%) 80-year-old candidate individuals.


METHODS
The dates and causes of all deaths were followed up for 4 years.


RESULTS
The relative hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality were lower in overweight subjects (BMI > or= 25.0) than in underweight (BMI<18.5) or normal-weight (BMI 18.5-24.9) subjects. Similarly, the HRs for mortality due to CVD in overweight subjects were 78% less (HR=0.22, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.06-0.77) than those in underweight subjects, and those in normal weight subjects were 78% less (HR=0.22, 95% CI=0.08-0.60) than those in underweight subjects. Mortality due to CVD was 4.6 times (HR 4.64, 95% CI=1.68-12.80) as high in underweight subjects as in normal-weight subjects, and mortality due to cancers was 88% lower (HR=0.12, 95% CI=0.02-0.78) in the overweight group than in the underweight group. There were no differences in mortality due to pneumonia.


CONCLUSIONS
Overweight status was associated with longevity and underweight with short life, due to lower and higher mortality, respectively, from CVD and cancer.
Takata
Yutaka
Y
Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Health Promotion, Kyushu Dental College, Kitakyushu, Japan. yutaka@kyu-dent.ac.jp
Ansai
Toshihiro
T
Soh
Inho
I
Akifusa
Sumio
S
Sonoki
Kazuo
K
Fujisawa
Kiyoshi
K
Awano
Shuji
S
Kagiyama
Shuntaro
S
Hamasaki
Tomoko
T
Nakamichi
Ikuo
I
Yoshida
Akihiro
A
Takehara
Tadamichi
T
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008136:Longevity; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality