What evidence is there to suggest that higher body mass is associated with improved outcomes in heart failure syndrome?
There is a significant amount of evidence to suggest that higher body mass is associated with improved outcomes in heart failure syndrome. Studies have shown that overweight (BMI 25.0-9.9 kg/m2) is associated with reduced relative risk of cardiovascular mortality of 0.81 (95% CI, 0.72-0.92). Furthermore, obesity was associated with an even lower risk. Additionally, a study of community heart failure clinic patients in the United Kingdom found that the larger the patient's size was, the lower the risk of mortality was. Lastly, low epicardial adipose tissue in heart failure was associated with increased heart failure mortality, potentially representing a novel component of the obesity paradox in heart failure. Taken together, these data suggest that higher body mass, whether fat or lean mass, is associated with improved outcomes in the syndrome of heart failure.