High BMI and low waist circumference positively impact the mortality in elderly: Study

For every 1 kg/m² increase in genetically predicted BMI, there was a 4.5% decrease in all-cause mortality risk which suggested that a slightly higher BMI might be optimal for the oldest-old. Also, higher WC was causally associated with increased mortality risk from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and non-CVD causes. The non-linear analyses of this study further highlighted the nature of these associations by indicating that the lowest mortality risk was observed at a BMI of around 28.0 kg/m² that reinforces the notion of an 'obesity paradox' among the elderly.

As the findings suggest, interventions focusing solely on reducing BMI may not be appropriate for this demographic. Instead, a more precise approach considering both BMI and WC with an emphasis on maintaining higher BMI levels alongside lower WC measurements for optimal longevity may be require. Overall, the findings of this research illuminate the need for a better understanding of obesity and its impact on health outcomes among the elderly population.

Source:

Lv, Y., Zhang, Y., Li, X., Gao, X., Ren, Y., Deng, L., Xu, L., Zhou, J., Wu, B., Wei, Y., Cui, X., Xu, Z., Guo, Y., Qiu, Y., Ye, L., Chen, C., Wang, J., Li, C., Luo, Y., … Shi, X. (2024). Body mass index, waist circumference, and mortality in subjects older than 80 years: a Mendelian randomization study. In European Heart Journal. Oxford University Press (OUP). https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehae206