Body Mass Index and Risk of Death in Asian Americans

Abstract

Objective To investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality among Asian Americans Methods We pooled data from prospective cohort studies that included 20,672 Asian American adults with no history of cancer or heart disease at baseline. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. Results A high, but not low, BMI was associated with an increased risk of total mortality among individuals 35–69 years old. BMI was not related to total mortality among individuals ≥70 years old. With a BMI 22.5–<25 as the reference category among 35–69 year old never smokers the hazard ratios (95% CI) for total mortality were 0.83 (0.47–1.47) for BMI 15–<18.5, 0.91 (0.62–1.32) for BMI 18.5–<20, 1.08 (0.86–1.36) for BMI 20–<22.5, 1.14 (0.90–1.44) for BMI 25–<27.5, 1.13 (0.79–1.62) for BMI 27.5–<30, 1.82 (1.25–2.64) for BMI 30–<35, and 2.09 (1.06–4.11) for BMI 35–50. Higher BMI was also related to an increased mortality from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Conclusions A high BMI is associated with increased risk of mortality among Asian Americans.

Identification of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk in Ethnically and Racially Diverse Populations

“…Even more recently, Park et al 30 used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate mortality among Asian Americans in different BMI categories. Data were pooled from previously published prospective cohort studies.…”

Annual review of Asian American Psychology, 2014.

“…Y. Fang et al, 2014), and eating disorder symptoms (Kroon Van Diest, Tartakovsky, Stachon, Pettit, & Perez, 2014). For example, Park et al (2014) found that acculturative stress was positively associated with alcohol use, but only for Vietnamese immigrants, and not for Chinese and Filipino immigrants in the United States, which may be because Vietnamese immigrants have less prior exposure to the American culture and a relatively short history of immigration. The results underscored the importance of considering the heterogeneity of Asian Americans in research on alcohol use.…”

“…V. Chung et al, 2014; Tiedje et al, 2014; S. S. Yi, Ruff, Jung, & Waddell, 2014), body mass and obesity ( n = 3; Cassel, Braun, Ka’opua, Soa, & Nigg, 2014; Franzen-Castle & Smith, 2014; Y. Park et al, 2014), body image and eating disorders ( n = 6; Chang, Yu, & Kahle, 2014; H.-L. Cheng, 2014; de Guzman & Nishina, 2014; Kelly, Cotter, Tanofsky-Kraff, & Mazzeo, 2014; Masuda, Le, & Cohen, 2014; Smart & Tsong, 2014), and diabetes ( n = 4; Inouye, Matsuura, Li, Castro, & Leake, 2014; Qiao et al, 2014; T.…”

Comparison of body mass index, waist circumference, and waist to height ratio in the prediction of hypertension and diabetes mellitus: Filipino-American women cardiovascular study

“…Indeed, Hsu et al (2015) states that the lower thresholds should not redefine BMI thresholds for overweight and obesity thresholds in relationship to mortality or morbidity in Asian Americans. Moreover, a recent study did not find an increased risk of total mortality among Asian Americans within the BMI range of 20 to < 25 kg/m 2 (Park et al, 2014). Mounting evidence also suggests that not all obese subjects are at increased cardiovascular risk.…”