Scottish study strengthens link between high BMI, cardiometabolic disease risk
New research published this week adds to existing evidence that there’s an association between high body mass index (BMI) and an increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases like hypertension, coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
The study, published in JAMA Cardiology, was randomized using the mendelian method, which uses genetic information to draw conclusions. It was led by Donald M. Lyall, PhD, a lecturer at the University of Glasgow in Scotland.
His study included more than 119,000 patients in the UK Biobank and examined the association between BMI and the main cardiometabolic diseases. About 47 percent of the participants were men, and the average age was 57 years old.
Results showed that when adjusted for age, sex, alcohol intake and smoking history, higher BMI was linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes, as well as increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
"Body mass index represents an important modifiable risk factor for ameliorating the risk of cardiometabolic disease in the general population,” the authors wrote in the study.
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As a Senior Writer for TriMed Media Group, Katherine primarily focuses on producing news stories, Q&As and features for Cardiovascular Business. She reports on several facets of the cardiology industry, including emerging technology, new clinical trials and findings, and quality initiatives among providers. She is based out of TriMed's Chicago office and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Columbia College Chicago. Her work has appeared in Modern Healthcare, Crain's Chicago Business and The Detroit News. She joined TriMed in 2016.