Influence of Body Mass Index on Survival in Veterans With Multiple Myeloma

Learning Objectives Describe the association between baseline BMI, weight loss, and survival in MM. Explain the importance of BMI and baseline weight loss as part of the standard history obtained in patients with MM. Purpose. We investigated the association between body mass index (BMI) at the time of multiple myeloma (MM) diagnosis and overall survival in a cohort of patients within the Veterans Health Administration system. We also evaluated the association between weight loss in the year prior to diagnosis and survival. Patients and Methods. Prospective analysis was performed on a retrospectively assembled cohort of 2,968 U.S. veterans diagnosed and treated for MM between September 1, 1999, and September 30, 2009, with follow‐up information through October 22, 2011. Cox modeling controlling for patient‐ and disease‐related prognostic variables was used to analyze the data. Results. Underweight patients (BMI