22 Jun Adolescent Obesity Linked to Later Increased Risk of Heart Failure

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Annika Rosengren

Annika Rosengren MD
Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine
Sahlgrenska Academy
University of Gothenburg,
Gothenburg, Sweden

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: In an earlier study we found that while hospitalizations for heart failure decreased among people aged 55 and older in Sweden 1987-2006, there was a clear increase among those younger than 45 years, particularly in young men. We thought that increasing body weight in the population might be a factor behind this.

We used anonymized data from more than 1.6 million Swedish men from the Swedish conscript registry aged on average 18 and followed them from adolescence onwards. Those who were overweight as teenagers were markedly more likely to develop heart failure in early middle age. The increased risk of heart failure was found already in men who were within the normal body weight range (a body mass index of 18.5 to 25) in adolescence, with an increased risk starting in those with a BMI of 20 and rising steeply to a nearly ten-fold increased risk in those who were very obese, with a BMI of 35 or over.

Among men with a BMI of 20 and over, the risk of heart failure increased by 16% with every BMI unit, after adjustments for factors that could affect the findings, such as age, year of enlistment into the Swedish armed forces, other diseases, parental education, blood pressure, IQ, muscle strength and fitness.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: Given that this generation of men will be approaching an age when heart failure is becoming more common – 95% of all hospitalizations for heart failure is among people aged 55 and over – we may be looking at increasing rates of heart failure in the future.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: Preventing obesity is key and we need to figure out how to do that. Keeping a low normal body weight from youth and onwards is important for the prevention of most cardiovascular disorders.

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:

Body weight in adolescence and long-term risk of early heart failure in adulthood among men in Sweden

Annika Rosengren, Maria Åberg, Josefina Robertson, Margda Waern, Maria Schaufelberger, Georg Kuhn, David Åberg, Linus Schiöler,Kjell Torén
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehw221 ehw221 First published online: 16 June 2016

Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.

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Last Updated on June 22, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD