Research Indicates Severe Obesity Heightens Risk of 16 Common Conditions

Synopsis

A recent study highlights that severely obese individuals may be at greater risk for 16 common health conditions, including obstructive sleep apnea and Type 2 diabetes. Researchers stress the importance of understanding obesity's total health impact for future public health interventions.

Key Takeaways

Severe obesity is linked to 16 significant health conditions.
Class III obesity defined by a BMI of 40 or more.
Obesity's total health burden is often underestimated.
Research based on data from over 270,000 participants.
Need for public health strategies to tackle rising obesity rates.

New Delhi, April 7 (NationPress) Individuals categorized as obese, especially those with severe obesity, may face a higher likelihood of developing 16 prevalent health conditions, including obstructive sleep apnoea, Type 2 diabetes, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, a recent study reveals.

Severe obesity, known as Class III obesity or morbid obesity, is characterized by a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or above, or a BMI of 35 or more coupled with obesity-related health issues. This condition presents considerable health hazards.

Obesity is widely recognized as a risk factor for negative health outcomes affecting various organ systems.

However, earlier research has often focused on conditions in isolation, which limits the understanding of obesity's overall health impact. Additionally, the underrepresentation of individuals with Class III obesity and diverse demographic backgrounds has restricted external validity, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins University in the US.

In this latest study, data from 270,657 participants across the US was analyzed.

The findings indicated that the prevalence and incidence rates of the 16 health outcomes increased progressively with each obesity class.

Among participants, Class I, II, and III obesity was found in 21.2%, 11.3%, and 9.8%, respectively.

Obesity exhibited a strong correlation with all incident outcomes, showing graded associations with higher obesity categories.

The identified conditions encompass hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia/dyslipidemia, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, gout, metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease, biliary calculus, obstructive sleep apnea, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and osteoarthritis.

“The observed associations with Class III obesity were strongest for obstructive sleep apnoea, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease,” stated the research team in the study published in the journal NEJM Evidence.

Conversely, obesity showed a weaker correlation with asthma, osteoarthritis, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

The increasing prevalence of severe obesity underscores the need for intervention. This study provides an updated assessment of obesity's overall health burden and may inform future public health strategies, policy decisions, and clinical applications of antiobesity treatments, according to the researchers.