title: Body mass index and all-cause mortality among older adults.
abstract: To examine the association between baseline body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2) ) and all-cause mortality in a well-characterized cohort of older persons.
  
  
  
  The association between BMI (both as a categorical and continuous variable) and all-cause mortality was investigated using 4,565 Geisinger Rural Aging Study participants with baseline age 74.0 ± 4.7 years (mean ± SD) and BMI 29.5 ± 5.3 kg/m(2) over a mean of 10.9 ± 3.8 years of follow-up.
  
  
  
  The relationship between BMI (as a continuous variable) and all-cause mortality was found to be U-shaped (P nonlinearity <0.001). Controlling for age, sex, smoking, alcohol, laboratory values, medications, and comorbidity status, underweight (BMI <18.5 kg/m(2) ) individuals had significantly greater adjusted risk of all-cause mortality than persons of BMI 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m(2) (reference range). Participants with overweight (BMI 25.0-29.9 kg/m(2) ) and class I obesity (BMI 30.0-34.9 kg/m(2) ) had significantly lower adjusted-risk of all-cause mortality. Those with classes II/III obesity (BMI ≥ 35.0 kg/m(2) ) did not have significantly greater adjusted-risk of all-cause mortality. Findings were consistent using propensity score weights and among never-smokers with 2- and 5-year lag analysis and among those with no identified chronic disease.
  
  
  
  A U-shaped association was observed between BMI and all-cause mortality with lower risk among older persons with overweight and class I obesity in comparison with those with BMI 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m(2) .
authors: Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors: Feon W
authors: FW
authors: Cheng
authors: Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA. xxg14@psu.edu.
authors: Xiang
authors: X
authors: Gao
authors: Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors: Diane C
authors: DC
authors: Mitchell
authors: Department of Internal Medicine & the Obesity Institute, Geisinger Health System, Danville, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors: Craig
authors: C
authors: Wood
authors: Department of Internal Medicine & the Obesity Institute, Geisinger Health System, Danville, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors: Christopher D
authors: CD
authors: Still
authors: Department of Internal Medicine & the Obesity Institute, Geisinger Health System, Danville, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Rolston
authors: Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.|Dean's Office and Department of Medicine, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, USA.
authors: Gordon L
authors: GL
authors: Jensen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000401:mortality; D050177:Overweight / Q000401:mortality*; D012424:Rural Population; D015996:Survival Rate; D013851:Thinness / Q000401:mortality*