Obesity in Middle Age Increases Risk of Later Heart Failure in Women-Results From the Prospective Population Study of Women and H70 Studies in Gothenburg, Sweden

Abstract

Objective: Obesity has been shown to be a risk factor for heart failure (HF), but whether the association varies by age is not understood. The aim was to examine the impact of obesity/overweight on the risk of developing heart failure in women of different ages by analysing prospective data from 2 population studies.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Population Study of Women in Gothenburg and the Gerontologic and Geriatric Population Studies concerning body mass index (BMI) collected in 1980 or later. Follow-up ended in 2006. Cox proportional hazard methods were used to determine associations between developing HF and BMI in 2574 women, 1243 aged 26-65 years and 1331 aged 66-76 years, at baseline.

Results: Women aged 26-65 years at baseline with BMI ≥30 kg/m² had an increased risk of developing HF (hazard ratio [HR] 2.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.56-4.35) even when controlling for age, glucose, smoking, alcohol consumption, serum triglycerides, and systolic blood pressure (reference group: women with BMI 18.5-22.4 kg/m²). Obese women aged 66-76 years at baseline did not show increased risk of developing HF (HR 0.55, 95% CI 0.23-1.29).

Conclusions: Obesity in middle-age women increases their risk of developing HF later in life. In contrast, obesity later in life shows no association with HF.

Keywords: Obesity; heart failure; longitudinal study; women.