Causes of death in obesity: Relevant increase in cardiovascular but not in all-cancer mortality

Abstract

Background and Objective To assess the relation between body mass index (BMI) and the risk of death from various causes in a prospective cohort study. Methods In 6,192 obese patients (BMI ≥25kg/m 2) with mean BMI 36.6 kg/m 2 (SD 6.1) and mean age 40.4 years (SD 12.9) who had been referred to the obesity clinic of the Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany, between 1961 and 1994, there were 1,058 deaths from all causes during a median follow-up time of 14.8 years. We calculated standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for death from predefined groups of diseases by using Germany as reference population. Results In both sexes, risk of death from cardiovascular diseases (men: SMR = 2.2, CI 1.9–2.5; women: SMR = 1.6, CI 1.5–1.8), from diabetes (men: SMR = 5.4, CI 3.2–8.7; women: SMR = 3.5, CI 2.6–4.8), and in men from digestive diseases (SMR = 1.6, CI 1.01–2.3) was significantly increased. In contrast to other studies, an association between obesity and all-cancer mortality could not be found. Only in morbidly obese women (BMI ≥40 kg/m 2), all-cancer mortality was significantly increased (SMR = 1.5, CI 1.1–1.9). Conclusion Obesity is associated with increased risk of death from cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in both sexes, and from diseases of the digestive system in men.