Height, body mass index, and survival in men with coronary disease: follow up of the diet and reinfarction trial (DART)

[...]being either underweight or obese is associated with increased coronary and all cause mortality 2 but the association of body mass index (BMI) and survival in people with symptomatic coronary heart disease has not been so widely reported. 3, 4 We examined these associations in the Diet and Reinfarction Trial. 5 METHODS AND RESULTS Between 1983 and 1987 2033 men who had recently suffered a myocardial infarction were enrolled from 4371 potentially eligible men identified. Body mass index (BMI) First Mean (range) 22 (15-24) Hazard (CI) Second Mean (range) 25 (24-26) Hazard (CI) Third Mean (range) 27 (26-28) Hazard (CI) Fourth Mean (range) 30 (28-45) Hazard (CI) All cause mortality Age adjusted 1.00 0.75 (0.64 to 0.89) 0.73 (0.61 to 0.86) 0.85 (0.72 to 1.00) Multiply adjusted* 1.00 0.76 (0.64 to 0.90) 0.69 (0.58 to 0.82) 0.79 (0.66 to 0.93) Coronary heart disease mortality Age adjusted 1.00 0.72 (0.58 to 0.88) 0.69 (0.56 to 0.85) 0.86 (0.70 to 1.04) Multiply adjusted* 1.00 0.71 (0.58 to 0.87) 0.64 (0.52 to 0.79) 0.76 (0.62 to 0.93) *Adjusted for the following baseline variables: history of MI, angina, hypertension at baseline; radiographic evidence of cardiomegaly, pulmonary congestion or pulmonary oedema at baseline; treatment (β blockers, other antihypertensives, digoxin/antiarrhythmics, or anticoagulants), smoking, diet randomisation, height or BMI.