| Title: | Classification and Severity Assessment of Obesity in Clinical Risk Prediction of Multimorbidity Trajectories |
| Journal: | Clinical Obesity |
| Published: | 15 Jul 2026 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42457618/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1111/cob.70097 |
Publication 21340
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Abstract
Obesity is a key risk factor for chronic disease and multimorbidity, yet variation in how obesity is defined may influence risk estimation in clinical practise. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) are better at capturing fat distribution than body mass index (BMI) and may have a role in obesity related multimorbidity prediction. To examine multimorbidity risk across obesity groups classified using BMI in combination with WHR/WHtR. A UK Biobank cohort free of comorbidity at baseline (n = 179 876) was followed for incident first long-term condition and multimorbidity (≥ 2 of 38 conditions) over a mean of 9.9 years. Six adiposity categories combining BMI with WHR/WHtR were analysed using Cox proportional hazards models. Subgroup analyses evaluated whether high central obesity (WHtR ≥ 0.6) provided additional risk stratification within BMI groups. Combined general with central obesity showed highest risk for the first condition (HR 1.11; 95% CI 1.087-1.138) and multimorbidity (HR 1.13; 95% CI 1.093-1.172). However, BMI-stratified subgroup analyses, central obesity provided additional risk discrimination only among individuals in the overweight category (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2), but not among those with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2. Waist-based measures improved risk identification in adults with overweight BMI, supporting the potential role of combined BMI-waist approaches for earlier multimorbidity prevention.</p>
18 Keywords
- Adiposity
- Adult
- Aged
- Body Mass Index
- Female
- Humans
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Multimorbidity
- Obesity
- Proportional Hazards Models
- Risk Assessment
- Risk Factors
- Severity of Illness Index
- UK Biobank
- United Kingdom
- Waist-Height Ratio
- Waist-Hip Ratio
6 Authors
- Afua Ampadu-Yeboah
- Alistair Carr
- Frederick Ho
- Jason Gill
- Naveed Sattar
- Bhautesh Dinesh Jani
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 14151 | Exploring multimorbidity in UK Biobank ? patterns of illness reporting and effects of comorbidity and multimorbidity on health outcomes |
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