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 “Obesity is associated with higher mortality among younger and
middle-aged individuals. However, among older adults, this
association is not present,” said Dr. David Grabowski, a professor
of healthcare policy at Harvard Medical School in Boston who was not
involved in the study.
Even if obese people’s lifespans are not shortened, however, heart
disease may take a serious toll on their lives, said lead study
author Dr. Klodian Dhana by email.
“Cardiovascular disease affects people’s quality of life,” said Dr.
Dhana, of the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam.
According to the World Health Organization, heart disease is the
leading cause of death worldwide.
To examine the links between obesity, heart disease and lifespan,
the study team collected data on 6,636 men and women aged 55 years
and older as part of the larger Rotterdam study in the Netherlands.
The participants were first examined between 1990 and 1993 with
regular follow-ups over 12 years. The researchers collected data on
height and weight to determine each individual’s body mass index
(BMI) and grouped people as either normal weight, overweight or
obese.
The research team also collected data on whether the subjects
suffered from heart disease and how long they lived with or without
the condition.
Overall, there were 1,035 cases of heart disease, representing 19
percent of participants, according to the June 14 report in the
International Journal of Obesity.
There were 1,902 deaths over the 12 years of follow-up, representing
29 percent of the sample. Of these deaths, just over one third were
due to heart disease.
Obese men and women were both around 50 percent more likely to
develop heart disease than normal weight participants.
And overweight or obese people without heart disease were no more
likely to die than their normal weight counterparts.
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Among men with heart disease, being obese was tied to a 33 percent
lower risk of dying, though the same was not true for women. Obese
and normal weight women with heart disease were equally likely to
die during the study period.
Overall, being overweight or obese did not have an effect on how
long people lived. But obesity was linked to 2.6 fewer years without
heart disease for men and 1.9 fewer disease-free years for women.
“The prevalence of obesity has been increasing for all ages,
including older adults,” said Dr. Grabowski, adding that weight loss
has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease for obese adults.
Heart disease can be difficult to live with, Dr. Grabowski said by
email. “An older person with heart disease would be more likely to
experience fatigue, shortness of breath and swollen legs, leading to
less mobility and a lower quality-of-life.”
Dr. Dhana added that people with heart disease often have to take
multiple medications, which can have their own negative side
effects.
“Reducing obesity is fundamental, therefore, we suggest taking
actions by engaging to healthy lifestyle such as healthy diet and
adequate physical activity,” Dr. Dhana said.
SOURCE: http://go.nature.com/28TN5Mi
Int. J. Obesity. June 2016.
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