[Body mass index and subsequent risk of hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia in a population-based sample of Japanese]

Abstract

Objective: To clarify relationships between BMI (body mass index) and the incidence of hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia among a community-based sample.

Method: A 4.3-year follow-up study was conducted of 1,427 men and women aged 40-69 to examine the relationships between BMI (kg/m2) and the incidence of hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia.

Results: During the follow-up, there were 118 cases of incident hypertension diagnosed, 56 of diabetes and 136 of hypercholesterolemia. After adjusting for sex, age, cognitive physical activity, food intake, alcohol intake, smoking, and blood pressure level, blood glucose level and serum total cholesterol level at the baseline, excess risks with the BMI category of > or = 27.0 versus 21.0-22.9 were found for hypertension [relative risk (95% CI) = 1.9(1.0-3.6)] and diabetes [2.9(1.2-7.4)]. However, no excess risk was evident for the 23.0-24.9 or 25.0-26.9 categories. Multivariate relative risks (95%CI) of hypercholesterolemia compared with the BMI category of 21.0-22.9 were 1.5 (0.9-2.6) for 23.0-24.9, 1.7(0.9-3.2) for 25.0-26.9 and 1.6 (0.8-3.1) for > or = 27.0, none of which reached statistical significance. When we combined all three diseases, the relative risks (95%CI) compared with the BMI category of 21.0-22.9 were 0.9(0.6-1.5) for 23.0-24.9, 1.2(0.7-2.1) for 25.0-26.9 and 1.8 (1.0-3.3) for > or = 27.0.

Conclusions: Increased risks of hypertension, diabetes and lifestyle-related disease were only evident with the BMI category > or = 27.0. Education for weight reduction should be less emphasized for persons with a BMI of 25.0-26.9 than for these with a value of > or = 27.0.