Key result
Age 20 and midlife body weight link more strongly to coronary atherosclerosis than weight gain.
Why the study?
Elevated adolescent body weight links to early cardiovascular disease, but whether this association is traceable to weight in early adulthood, midlife, or weight gain is unknown.
Is body weight at age 20 and in midlife more strongly associated with midlife coronary atherosclerosis than weight gain?
Observational (n=25,181)
Is body weight at age 20 and in midlife more strongly associated with midlife coronary atherosclerosis than weight gain?
p-value: p=<0.001
Absolute body weight at age 20 and in midlife are stronger predictors of midlife coronary atherosclerosis than the amount of weight gained during that period.
Absolute early/midlife weight may inform atherosclerosis risk better than gain; leaves open causal effects of weight interventions.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Elevated body weight in adolescence is associated with early cardiovascular disease, but whether this association is traceable to weight in early adulthood, weight in midlife or to weight gain is not known. The aim of this study is to assess the risk of midlife coronary atherosclerosis being associated with body weight at age 20, body weight in midlife and body weight change. METHODS: We used data from 25,181 participants with no previous myocardial infarction or cardiac procedure in the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS, mean age 57 years, 51% women). Data on coronary atherosclerosis, self-reported body weight at age 20 and measured midlife weight were recorded together with potential confounders and mediators. Coronary atherosclerosis was assessed using coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and expressed as segment involvement score (SIS). RESULTS: The probability of having coronary atherosclerosis was markedly higher with increasing weight at age 20 and with mid-life weight (p < 0.001 for both sexes). However, weight increase from age 20 until mid-life was only modestly associated with coronary atherosclerosis. The association between weight gain and coronary atherosclerosis was mainly seen in men. However, no significant sex difference could be detected when adjusting for the 10-year delay in disease development in women. CONCLUSIONS: Similar in men and women, weight at age 20 and weight in midlife are strongly related to coronary atherosclerosis while weight increase from age 20 until midlife is only modestly related to coronary atherosclerosis.
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Bergström et al. (2023) conducted an observational in Coronary atherosclerosis (n=25,181). Body weight at age 20 and midlife vs. Weight gain was evaluated on Coronary atherosclerosis assessed using coronary computed tomography angiography (segment involvement score) (p=<0.001). Body weight at age 20 and in midlife was strongly associated with a higher probability of coronary atherosclerosis (p < 0.001 for both sexes), whereas weight gain was only modestly associated.
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