Metabolic and lifestyle predictors of ischemic heart disease and all-cause mortality among normal weight, overweight, and obese men: a 16-year follow-up in the Copenhagen Male Study.

AIM: The aim of this study was to identify metabolic and lifestyle risk factors for ischemic heart disease (IHD) and all-cause mortality (ACM) among normal weight, overweight, and obese men.

METHODS: This was a 16-year follow up of 2982 men 53 to 75 years without overt cardiovascular disease. POTENTIAL RISK FACTORS: These were blood pressure, diabetes, fasting serum triglycerides (TGs) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), glucosuria, cancer, body mass index (BMI), alcohol, tobacco, leisure-time physical activity, social class, and age.

MAIN OUTCOME: This was to determine mortality during 16 years of follow-up.

RESULTS: A total of 194 men (6.5%) died due to IHD and 1184 (39.8%) from all causes. All lifestyle factors and clinical/metabolic risk factors were associated with BMI, positively or negatively. Risk of IHD and ACM increased gradually from the normal weight (BMI 20.0-25.0) to higher BMI groups. With respect to IHD, compared to normal weight men, obese men (BMI > or = 30.0) had an age-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) (95%CI) of 1.67(1.04-2.68); adjusted for potential confounders HR was 0.99 (0.59-1.66); corresponding estimates for ACM were 1.21 (0.98-1.49) and 0.86 (0.68-1.09). High TG (>1.70 mmol/L) was an independent risk factor for IHD mortality only among men with BMI < or = 27.5 kg/m(2); low HDL-C (< or =1.03 mmol/L) was an independent risk factor for IHD mortality only among men with BMI > 27.5 kg/m(2). Cumulative smoking and type 2 diabetes/glucosuria were the strongest risk factors of ACM among men with a BMI < or = 27.5 as well as men with a BMI > 27.5.

CONCLUSION: The importance of risk factors for IHD mortality, in particular serum TG and serum HDL-C, depends on BMI.