Takeaway
- This meta-analysis suggests that the risk for sudden cardiac arrest may increase with increasing BMI and waist-to-hip ratio.
Why this matters
- The finding has clinical and public health implications because of increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity worldwide.
Key results
- A total of 3376 cases were included among 406,079 participants.
- The relative risk (RR) for cardiac arrest increased by 16% per 5 units increase in BMI (RR, 1.16; Pheterogeniety<.0001), whereas it was 82% increase per 0.1 unit increase in waist-to-hip ratio (RR, 1.82; Pheterogeniety= .77).
- The summary RR was 1.03 per 10 cm increase in waist circumference (2 studies; Pheterogeniety=.54).
- A non-linear J-shaped association was seen between BMI and sudden cardiac death (Pnon-linearity<.0001), with a slight increase in risk in the underweight categories.
- The risk increased by 14%, 60% and 2-3 fold in the overweight, obese and severely obese categories, respectively.
- The association was stronger among studies with <10 years follow-up vs ≥10 years follow-up.
Study design
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of 14 prospective studies evaluating the association between adiposity and risk for sudden cardiac death.
- Funding: Imperial College National Institute of Health Research.
Limitations
- Confounding by other risk factors may have influenced the results.
- Heterogeneity among included studies.
References
References