title: Obesity in Middle Age Increases Risk of Later Heart Failure in Women-Results From the Prospective Population Study of Women and H70 Studies in Gothenburg, Sweden.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Obesity has been shown to be a risk factor for heart failure (HF), but whether the association varies by age is not understood. The aim was to examine the impact of obesity/overweight on the risk of developing heart failure in women of different ages by analysing prospective data from 2 population studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from the Population Study of Women in Gothenburg and the Gerontologic and Geriatric Population Studies concerning body mass index (BMI) collected in 1980 or later. Follow-up ended in 2006. Cox proportional hazard methods were used to determine associations between developing HF and BMI in 2574 women, 1243 aged 26-65 years and 1331 aged 66-76 years, at baseline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women aged 26-65 years at baseline with BMI ≥30 kg/m2had an increased risk of developing HF (hazard ratio [HR] 2.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.56-4.35) even when controlling for age, glucose, smoking, alcohol consumption, serum triglycerides, and systolic blood pressure (reference group: women with BMI 18.5-22.4 kg/m2). Obese women aged 66-76 years at baseline did not show increased risk of developing HF (HR 0.55, 95% CI 0.23-1.29).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obesity in middle-age women increases their risk of developing HF later in life. In contrast, obesity later in life shows no association with HF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Health Care, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anna-Karin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Halldin
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schaufelberger
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bodil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lernfelt
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Björck
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosengren
authors.affiliation: Section for Epidemiology and Social Medicine (EPSO), Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lissner
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Health Care, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. Electronic address: cecilia.bjorkelund@allmed.gu.se.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Björkelund
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Obesity; heart failure; longitudinal study; women