title: Are measures of body habitus associated with mortality in cystic fibrosis?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nutrition is an important component of clinical care for patients with cystic fibrosis. We aimed to test the hypothesis that increased BMI, height, and level of creatinine as a biomarker for lean muscle mass are associated with lower mortality and whether differences in these measures may contribute toward sex differences in survival in cystic fibrosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a cohort study design, we analyzed data from the UK Cystic Fibrosis Registry for patients who attended an annual assessment visit in 2007 and were followed-up until July 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1,517 individuals, 62 died during the follow-up period. The odds of death were higher among patients in the lowest quintile of serum creatinine compared with the rest of the study population (OR, 3.28; 95% CI, 1.79-5.98). Increased height and higher BMI were also associated with lower risk of death. The higher mortality in female patients (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 0.93-2.34) was reversed by adjustment using the absolute values for height, BMI, and serum creatinine level (adjusted OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.21-0.90) but not by the use of sex-specific values for these exposure variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lower muscle mass, shorter stature, and a low BMI are associated with increased mortality in cystic fibrosis. These measures of body habitus may contribute to the sex-specific survival differences in individuals with cystic fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Nottingham, England. Electronic address: andrew.fogarty@nottingham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Andrew W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Fogarty
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Nottingham, England.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Britton
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, City Hospital, Nottingham, England.
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clayton
authors.affiliation: Nottingham Biomedical Research Unit, Division of Child Health, University of Nottingham, England.
authors.forename: Alan R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Smyth
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood*; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012042:Registries; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D015996:Survival Rate; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D003404:Creatinine