Obesity paradox in a cohort of 4880 consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

We sought to investigate the impact of body mass index (BMI) on long-term all-cause mortality in patients following first-time elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

We used the Scottish Coronary Revascularisation Register to undertake a cohort study of all patients undergoing elective PCI in Scotland between April 1997 and March 2006 inclusive. We excluded patients who had previously undergone revascularization. There were 219 deaths within 5 years of 4880 procedures. Compared with normal weight individuals, those with a BMI > or =27.5 and <30 were at reduced risk of dying (HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.39-0.90, 95%, P = 0.014). There was no attenuation of the association after adjustment for potential confounders, including age, hypertension, diabetes, and left ventricular function (adjusted HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.39-0.90, P = 0.015), and there were no statistically significant interactions. The results were unaltered by restricting the analysis to events beyond 30 days of follow-up.

Among patients undergoing percutaneous intervention for coronary artery disease, increased BMI was associated with improved 5 year survival. Among those with established coronary disease, the adverse effects of excess adipose tissue may be offset by beneficial vasoactive properties.