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. 2019 May;43(5):1026-1033.
doi: 10.1038/s41366-018-0218-7. Epub 2018 Sep 24.

Association of body temperature with obesity. The CoLaus study

François Bastardot  1 , Pedro Marques-Vidal  1 , Peter Vollenweider  2
Affiliations

Association of body temperature with obesity. The CoLaus study

François Bastardot et al. Int J Obes (Lond). 2019 May.

Abstract

Background and aims: There is conflicting evidence regarding the association between body temperature and obesity. We aimed to assess the associations between body temperature and several adiposity and metabolic markers according to gender and menopausal status in a large population-based sample.

Methods: The data collected between 2009 and 2012 from 4224 participants (mean age 57.3 ± 10.4 years, 2225 women) of the CoLaus study (Lausanne, Switzerland). Body temperature was measured at the tympanic membrane.

Results: Mean body temperature was 36.1 ± 0.4, 36.4 ± 0.4 and 36.3 ± 0.4 °C in men, premenopausal, and postmenopausal women, respectively (p < 0.001). In men and postmenopausal women, body temperature was positively and significantly (p < 0.05) associated with body mass index (Spearman correlation coefficients 0.157 and 0.083, respectively), waist (r = 0.163 and r = 0.104), waist to hip ratio (r = 0.187 and r = 0.132), body area (r = 0.094 and r = 0.085), resting heart rate (r = 0.227 and r = 182), glucose (r = 0.104 and r = 0.088) and insulin (r = 0.148 and r = 0.117). Except for body area and BMI in postmenopausal women, all associations remained significant after multivariable adjustment. In premenopausal women, body temperature was positively associated with resting heart rate (r = 0.140) and insulin (r = 0.170), and no significant associations were found after multivariable adjustment.

Conclusion: Body temperature is strongly associated with obesity markers in men and postmenopausal women. The absence of association in premenopausal women might be due to the influence of the menstrual cycle.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Selection procedure. BMI body mass index; NSAIDs non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. § women only
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Association of body temperature with body mass index categories, stratified by gender and menopausal status, CoLaus study, Lausanne, 2009–2012
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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