Weight history links differently to diabetes and stroke risks
In 461,046 adults followed for a median 12.3 years, each 10-kilogram weight gain was linked to higher type 2 diabetes risk (hazard ratio 1.92).
Limit: Weight at age 25 relied on recall
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
An observational cohort study analyzed 461,046 adults aged 30 to 79 (mean age 52.0 years) in the China Kadoorie Biobank who had no prior major chronic diseases. Weight change was measured baseline weight minus recalled weight at age 25. Over a median follow-up of 12.3 years, researchers tracked type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease from reduced blood flow, ischemic stroke from blocked blood vessels, and bleeding within the brain. Each 10-kilogram weight gain was linked to higher risks of all four conditions. After adjusting for baseline body mass index, a measure of weight relative to height, weight change remained strongly linked to type 2 diabetes and ischemic heart disease. The link disappeared for stroke from blocked blood vessels and reversed for brain bleeding, where weight loss was linked to higher risk. Baseline body mass index appeared dominant for ischemic stroke, while early-adulthood body mass index may be particularly important for brain bleeding.
Why it matters
For diseases associated with aging, the study addresses whether weight history adds risk information beyond current body size.
Caveats
This observational study cannot establish cause and effect, and weight at age 25 relied on recall. The congress abstract reported findings in adults without prior major chronic diseases, so the results do not necessarily apply to people with those conditions.
