BODY-MASS INDEX AND MORTALITY IN NONSMOLTING OLDER ADULTS - THE CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH STUDY

Objectives. This study assesses the relationship of body mass index to 5-year mortality in a cohort of 4317 nonsmoking men and women aged 65 to 100 years. Methods. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to predict mortality as a function of baseline body mass index, adjustin g for demographic, clinical, and laboratory covariates. Results. There was an inverse relationship between body mass index and mortality; de ath rates were higher for those who weighed the least. Inclusion of co variates had trivial effects on these results. People who had lost 10% or more of their body weight since age 50 had a relatively high death rate. When that group was excluded, there was no remaining relationsh ip between body mass index and mortality. Conclusions. The association between higher body mass index and mortality often found in middle-ag ed populations was not observed in this large cohort of older adults. Overweight does not seem to be a risk factor for 5-year mortality in t his age group. Rather, the risks associated with significant weight lo ss should be the primary concern.