Researchers have defined the ideal body mass index for people with type 2 diabetes to limit the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
- Diabetic people aged 65 or younger and who have a BMI between 23 to 25 kg/m² have a lower risk of death linked to a cardiovascular event.
- In contrast, diabetic patients aged 65 or younger who are overweight (with a BMI of 25 kg/m² to 29.9 kg/m²) have a 13% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
- For patients over 65 years old, the risk of death linked to a cardiovascular event is 18% lower if they are slightly overweight, with a BMI between 26 and 28 kg/m².
Cardiovascular mortality is doubled in patients with diabetes compared to the general population, according to the French Federation of Diabetics. Being overweight is one of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
The ideal BMI to limit the risks of cardiovascular diseases
Thus, researchers have defined the ideal weight for these patients, depending on their age, to limit the risks of cardiovascular disease. Their study will be presented at European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2024), which will be held from May 12 to 15 in Venice, Italy.
During their work, the researchers studied the body mass index (BMI) of 22,874 patients with type 2 diabetes, whose average age was 59 years. The aim was to assess their risk of death from cardiovascular causes based on their BMI. Follow-up lasted 13 years, during which 891 participants died from cardiovascular diseases.
The scientists divided the participants into two groups:
- Elderly people, over 65 years old
- Middle-aged people, 65 years or younger
Results: for middle-aged people, the risk of death linked to a cardiovascular event is lower if the BMI is between 23 to 25 kg/m², considered to be normal. In contrast, overweight patients (with a BMI of 25 kg/m² to 29.9 kg/m²) had a 13% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
Lower risk among those over 65 who are slightly overweight
For patients over 65, the researchers’ observations are different. The risk of death from a cardiovascular event was 18% lower if they were slightly overweight (with a BMI between 26 and 28 kg/m²), compared to those in the same age group who had a BMI normal, less than 25.0 kg/m².
The researchers therefore concluded that the optimal BMI was 24 kg/m² for middle-aged people and 27 kg/m² for elderly people.
“We demonstrate that the ideal BMI for people with type 2 diabetes varies by age, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors, explains Dr. Shaoyong Xu, lead author of the study, in a communicated. Our results suggest that elderly people who are slightly overweight but not obese should maintain their weight (…) to reduce their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.”
