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Review
. 2018 Dec;243(17-18):1275-1285.
doi: 10.1177/1535370218818161. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Body composition and mortality in the general population: A review of epidemiologic studies

Dong Hoon Lee  1 , Edward L Giovannucci  1   2   3
Affiliations
Review

Body composition and mortality in the general population: A review of epidemiologic studies

Dong Hoon Lee et al. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2018 Dec.

Abstract

Current understanding of the association of body composition on mortality in the general population is limited. This review evaluated the available epidemiologic studies on body composition and mortality that leveraged diverse approaches to estimate body composition. Although studies showed inconsistent results, there was evidence suggesting that high fat mass and low lean body mass may be independently associated with mortality in the general population. This review may help partially explain the "obesity paradox" phenomenon and facilitate further studies to advance the understanding of the association of body composition on health in the general and patient populations.

Keywords: Body composition; body mass index; fat mass; lean body mass; mortality; obesity paradox.

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