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Mortality

Researchers Investigate Alternatives to Body Mass Index as Predictor of Chronic Disease Risk

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Researchers from the University of Alberta published a study in BMJ Open, investigating the use of Body Mass Index (BMI) as a predictor of the risk for non-communicable chronic disease (NCD) or death. The study analyzed data from the UK Biobank cohort, following 500,107 participants between 2006 and 2022. The researchers found that while BMI was strongly correlated with fat percentage measured by bioimpedance analysis (BIA), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and visceral adipose tissue percentage were less so. All measures of body fat were associated with the incidence of NCDs, but only WHR was independently associated with mortality.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study, published in BMJ Open, investigated the use of BMI as a predictor of chronic disease risk and found that it was strongly correlated with fat percentage measured by bioimpedance analysis (BIA).
  • The researchers analyzed data from 500,107 participants in the UK Biobank cohort over a period of 16 years, from 2006 to 2022.
  • BMI was found to be positively associated with the incidence of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs), but only waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) remained positively associated with death after full adjustment.
  • The study concluded that body fat may be protective against death, and the excess risk associated with higher WHR may be mediated by something other than body fat.
  • The researchers suggested that considering alternatives to BMI as a predictor of chronic disease risk may be beneficial.
  • The study highlights the importance of considering individual factors beyond BMI when assessing chronic disease risk.
  • The UK Biobank cohort provided a large and diverse dataset for the study, allowing for robust analysis and conclusions.

Statistics:

  • 500,107 participants were included in the analysis.
  • The median age of the participants at baseline was 58 years (IQR 50-63).
  • 45.6% of the participants were male and 94.7% were white.
  • The 5th and 95th percentiles for measures of body fat were BMI 20.5 (considered 'healthy') and 37.0 kg/m2 (considered 'unhealthy'), WHR 0.71 and 0.94 and BIA 24.8% and 47.6% in females, and BMI 22.0 (considered 'healthy') and 35.4 kg/m2 (considered 'unhealthy'), WHR 0.83 and 1.05 and BIA 15.5% and 34.7% in males.
  • The hazard ratio (HR) for death associated with WHR was 1.21 (1.16 to 1.28) in females and 1.19 (1.14 to 1.24) in males.

Sources:

  • Associations of body fat and inflammation with non-communicable chronic diseases and mortality: a prospective cohort study of the UK Biobank. BMJ Open, 2025,15(10).
  • University of Alberta
  • Natasha Wiebe, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta
  • Marcello Tonelli
  • NewsRx LLC
  • Obesity & Diabetes Week. October 20, 2025; p 88.

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