OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

Objective: Evidence is lacking regarding the combined effects of smoking and obesity on mortality from coronary heart disease in male veterans. This study aimed to explore the combined effect of smoking and obesity on coronary heart disease mortality in male veterans in China. Methods: A cohort of 1,268 male veterans from 22 veteran centers in Xi'an (Shaanxi Province, China) were followed up once every 2 years from February 1, 1987 to October 30, 2016. The endpoint was death from any cause. The hazard ratio ( Results: The total follow-up was 24394.21 person-years; each subject was followed up for a mean duration of 19.24 years. By the end of the study, of the 1,268 veterans, 889 had died, 363 were alive, and 16 were lost to follow-up. Cox regression analysis results revealed that current smoking ( Conclusion Our results suggest that obese veterans who smoke might be an important target population for coronary heart disease mortality control.
Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Coronary Disease/mortality* ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Obesity/complications* ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; Veterans/statistics & numerical data*

Objective: This study aimed to assess the association of waist circumference (WC) with all-cause mortality among Chinese adults. Methods: The baseline data were from Shanxi Province of 2002 China Nutrition and Health Survey. The death investigation and follow-up visit were conducted from December 2015 to March 2016. The visits covered up to 5,360 of 7,007 participants, representing a response rate of 76.5%. The Cox regression model and floating absolute risk were used to estimate hazard ratio and 95% floating of death by gender and age groups (≥ 60 and < 60 years old). Sensitivity analysis was performed by excluding current smokers; participants with stroke, hypertension, and diabetes; participants who accidentally died; and participants who died during the first 2 years of follow-up. Results: This study followed 67,129 person-years for 12.5 years on average, including 615 deaths. The mortality density was 916 per 100,000 person-years. Low WC was associated with all-cause mortality among men. Multifactor-adjusted hazard ratios ( ) were 1.60 (1.35-1.90) for WC < 75.0 cm and 1.40 (1.11-1.76) for WC ranging from 75.0 cm to 79.9 cm. Low WC (< 70.0 cm and 70.0-74.9 cm) and high WC (≥ 95.0 cm) groups had a high risk of mortality among women. The adjusted s of death were 1.43 (1.11-1.83), 1.39 (1.05-1.84), and 1.91 (1.13-3.22). Conclusion WC was an important predictor of death independent of body mass index (BMI). WC should be used as a simple rapid screening and predictive indicator of the risk of death.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; China ; epidemiology ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mortality ; Obesity, Abdominal ; complications ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Risk Factors ; Sex Factors ; Waist Circumference ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: Considering the health impact of obesity and cancer, it is important to estimate the burden of cancer attributable to high body mass index (BMI). Therefore, the present study attempts to measure the health burden of cancer attributable to excess BMI, according to cancer sites. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study used nationwide medical check-up sample cohort data (2002-2015). The study subjects were 496,390 individuals (268,944 men and 227,446 women). We first calculated hazard ratio (HR) in order to evaluate the effect of excess BMI on cancer incidence and mortality. Then, the adjusted HR values and the prevalence of excess BMI were used to calculate the population attributable risk. This study also used the Global Burden of Disease method, to examine the health burden of obesity-related cancers attributable to obesity. RESULTS: The highest disability-adjusted life year (DALY) values attributable to overweight and obesity in men were shown in liver cancer, colorectal cancer, and gallbladder cancer. Among women, colorectal, ovarian, and breast (postmenopausal) cancers had the highest DALYs values attributable to overweight and obesity. Approximately 8.0% and 12.5% of cancer health burden (as measured by DALY values) among obesity-related cancers in men and women, respectively, can be prevented. CONCLUSION: Obesity has added to the health burden of cancer. By measuring the proportion of cancer burden attributable to excess BMI, the current findings provide support for the importance of properly allocating healthcare resources and for developing cancer prevention strategies to reduce the future burden of cancer.
Body Mass Index ; Breast ; Cohort Studies ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Delivery of Health Care ; Female ; Gallbladder Neoplasms ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Liver Neoplasms ; Male ; Methods ; Mortality ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Prevalence

Renal cortical necrosis (RCN) is patchy or diffuse ischemic destruction of the renal cortex caused by significantly reduced renal arterial perfusion. It is a rare cause of acute kidney injury (AKI) and is associated with high mortality. Here, we review the case of RCN in a 15-year-old boy who developed AKI. A 15-year-old boy was referred to our hospital from a local hospital due to a sharp decrease in his renal function. He presented with acute flank pain, nausea with vomiting, and oliguria for the past two days. He had taken a single dose of antihistamine for nasal congestion. At our hospital, his peak blood pressure was 148/83 mmHg and he had a high body mass index of 32.9 kg/m². The laboratory data showed a blood urea nitrogen (BUN) of 28.4 mg/dL, a creatinine of 4.26 mg/dL, and a glomerular filtration rate estimated from the serum cystatin C of 20.2 mL/min/1.73m². Proteinuria (spot urine protein to creatinine ratio 1.66) with pyuria was observed. Kidney sonography showed parenchymal swelling and increased renal echogenicity. Due to rapidly progressing nephritis, steroid pulse therapy (750 mg/IV) was done on the second day of his admission and the patient showed complete recovery with normal renal function. However, the kidney biopsy findings revealed renal cortical hemorrhagic necrosis. Multifocal, relatively well-circumscribed, hemorrhagic necrotic areas (about 25%) were detected in the tubulointerstitium. Although RCN is an unusual cause of AKI, especially in children, pediatricians should consider the possibility of RCN when evaluating patients with rapidly decreasing renal function.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Adolescent ; Biopsy ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Body Mass Index ; Child ; Creatinine ; Cystatin C ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Flank Pain ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Cortex Necrosis ; Male ; Mortality ; Nausea ; Necrosis ; Nephritis ; Obesity ; Oliguria ; Perfusion ; Proteinuria ; Pyuria ; Vomiting

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), together with metabolic syndrome and obesity, has shown a rapid increase in prevalence worldwide and is emerging as a major cause of chronic liver disease and liver transplantation. Among the various phenotypes of NAFLD, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is highly likely to progress to development of end-stage liver disease and cardiometabolic disease, resulting in liver-related and non-liver–related mortality. Nonetheless, there is no standardized pharmacotherapy against NASH and many drugs are under development in ongoing clinical trials. To develop a successful anti-NASH drug, it is necessary to select an appropriate target population and treatment outcomes depending on whether the mode of action is anti-metabolic, anti-inflammatory or anti-fibrotic. Recently, innovative surrogate markers have been investigated to replace hard outcomes such as liver histology and mortality and reduce the clinical trial duration. Currently, several drugs with fast track designation are being tested in phase III clinical trials, and many other drugs have moved into phase II clinical trials. Both lean NAFLD and typical obese NAFLD have been extensively studied and genetic variants such as PNPLA3 and TM6SF2 have been identified as significant risk factors for lean NAFLD. In the near future, noninvasive biomarkers and effective targeted therapies for NASH and associated fibrosis are required to develop precision medicine and tailored therapy according to various phenotypes of NAFLD.
Biomarkers ; Drug Therapy ; Fibrosis ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Liver ; Liver Diseases ; Liver Transplantation ; Mortality ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; Obesity ; Phenotype ; Precision Medicine ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Excessive sugar consumption may increase the risk for development of several diseases. Although average dietary sugar intake of Koreans is within the recommended level, an increasing trend has been found in all age groups. This study aimed to evaluate the population attributable fractions (PAF) to dietary sugar for disease and death in Korea, and to estimate the socioeconomic effects of a reduction in dietary sugar. MATERIALS/METHODS: The prevalence of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) overconsumption (≥ 20 g of sugar from beverages) was analyzed using the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015. Disease-specific relative risks of excessive SSB consumption were obtained through reviewing previous studies. Using the prevalence of SSB overconsumption and each relative risk, PAFs for morbidity and mortality were calculated. Socioeconomic costs of diseases and death attributable to SSB overconsumption were estimated by using representative data on national medical expenditures, health insurance statistics, employment information, and previous reports. RESULTS: Disease-specific PAF to SSB consumption ranged from 3.11% for stroke to 9.05% for obesity and dental caries, respectively. Costs from disease caused by SSB overconsumption was estimated at 594 billion won in 2015. About 39 billion won was estimated to be from SSB consumption-related deaths, and a total of 633 billion won was predicted to have been saved through preventing SSB overconsumption. CONCLUSIONS: Sugars overconsumption causes considerable public burdens, although the cost estimates do not include any informal expenditure. Information on these socioeconomic effects helps both health professionals and policy makers to create and to implement programs for reducing sugar consumption.
Administrative Personnel ; Beverages ; Carbohydrates ; Dental Caries ; Dietary Sucrose ; Employment ; Health Expenditures ; Health Occupations ; Humans ; Insurance ; Korea ; Mortality ; Nutrition Surveys ; Obesity ; Prevalence ; Public Health ; Stroke

BACKGROUND: Unlike patterns observed in the general population, obesity is associated with better survival among hemodialysis patients, which could be explained by reverse causation or illness-related weight loss. However, the time-varying effect of body mass index (BMI) on hemodialysis survival has not been investigated. Therefore, this study investigated the time-varying effect of BMI on mortality after starting hemodialysis. METHODS: In the present study, we examined Korean Society of Nephrology data from 16,069 adult patients who started hemodialysis during or after the year 2000. Complete survival data were obtained from Statistics Korea. Survival analysis was performed using Cox regression and a non-proportional hazard fractional polynomial model. RESULTS: During the median follow-up of 8.6 years, 9,272 patients (57.7%) died. Compared to individuals with normal BMI (18.5–24.9 kg/m²), the underweight group (< 18.5 kg/m²) had a higer mortality hazard ratio (HR, 1.292; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.203–1.387; P < 0.001) and the overweight group (25.0–29.9 kg/m²) had a lower mortality HR (0.904; 95% CI, 0.829–0.985; P = 0.022). The underweight group had increasing HRs during the first 3 to 7 years after starting hemodialysis, which varied according to age group. The young obese group (< 40 years old) had a U-shaped temporal trend in their mortality HRs, which reflected increased mortality after 7 years. CONCLUSION: The obese hemodialysis group had better survival during the early post-dialysis period, although the beneficial effect of obesity disappeared 7 years after starting hemodialysis. The young obese group also had an increased mortality HR after 7 years.
Adult ; Body Mass Index ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Models, Statistical ; Mortality ; Nephrology ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Renal Dialysis ; Thinness ; Weight Loss

BACKGROUND: Significant increases in the prevalence of obesity have been observed among patients with peritoneal dialysis (PD). The impact of body mass index (BMI) on survival remains unknown in Korean PD patients. METHODS: Among data of 80,674 patients on PD acquired from the Insan Memorial ESRD Registry database for the years 1985 to 2014, 6,071 cases were analyzed. Subjects were classified by baseline BMI; < 21.19 kg/m² (quartile 1, n = 1,518), 21.19 to 23.18 kg/m² (quartile 2, reference; n = 1,453), 23.19 to 25.71 kg/m² (quartile 3, n = 1,583), and > 25.71 kg/m² (quartile 4, n = 1,517). RESULTS: Mean age was 65.8 years, and baseline BMI was 23.57 kg/m². Numbers of male and diabetic patients were 3,492 (57.5%) and 2,192 (36.1%), respectively. Among 6,071 cases, 2,229 (36.7%) all-cause deaths occurred. As a whole, Kaplan–Meier survival curves according to BMI quartiles was significantly different (P = 0.001). All-cause mortality was significantly higher in quartile 4 than in the reference (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.154, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.025–1.300; P = 0.018). There was no statistical difference in all-cause mortality among BMI quartiles in diabetic patients on PD. In non-diabetic patients, all-cause mortality of quartiles 1 and 3 was not different from the reference, but the HR was 1.176 times higher in quartile 4 (95% CI, 1.024–1.350; P = 0.022). CONCLUSION: Baseline BMI > 25.71 kg/m² seems to be an important risk factor for all-cause mortality in Korean PD patients.
Body Mass Index ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Korea ; Male ; Mortality ; Obesity ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: Being common, mild anemia is sometimes considered a mere consequence of aging; however, aging alone is unlikely to lead to anemia. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between mild anemia and total mortality and cause-specific mortality in apparently healthy elderly subjects. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 10,114 apparently healthy elderly individuals who underwent cancer screening and routine medical check-ups at one Health Promotion Center between May 1995 and December 2007. We defined mild anemia as a hemoglobin concentration between 10.0 g/dL and 11.9 g/dL in women and between 10.0 g/dL and 12.9 g/dL in men. We assessed the relationship between the overall, cardiovascular (CV), and cancer mortality and mild anemia using Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Mild anemia was present in 143 men (3.1%) and 246 women (6.1%). During an average follow-up of 7.6 years, 495 deaths occurred, including 121 CV and 225 cancer deaths. After adjustments, mild anemia was associated with a 128% increase in the risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 2.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.54–3.37) in men and cancer-related mortality (HR, 2.25; 95% CI, 1.22–4.13), particularly lung cancer (HR, 2.70; 95% CI, 1.03–7.08) in men, but not in women. In the subgroup analyses based on smoking status, obesity, and age, the associations were more prominent in never or former smoker groups and the older group. CONCLUSION: The present study shows that overall and cancer-related mortality was associated with mild anemia in elderly men. Future prospective studies are needed to consolidate our findings.
Aged ; Aging ; Anemia ; Cause of Death ; Cohort Studies ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Male ; Mortality ; Obesity ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Smoke ; Smoking