What is the relationship between obesity and mortality in patients with heart failure?
Several studies have shown that obesity is associated with an increased risk of mortality in patients with heart failure. In the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) study, researchers found that metabolic risk factors, such as obesity, were associated with an increased risk of incident heart failure. The Framingham Heart Study also found that inflammatory markers were associated with an increased risk of heart failure in elderly subjects without prior myocardial infarction. The Candesartan in Heart Failure: Assessment of Reduction in Mortality and morbidity (CHARM) program showed an association between body mass index and prognosis in patients with chronic heart failure. Additionally, studies have found a U-shaped relationship between body mass index and mortality in patients with heart failure, meaning that while both underweight and overweight patients have an increased risk of mortality, those with a healthy body mass index have the lowest risk. 