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A consistent log-linear relationship between tuberculosis incidence and body mass index.
Knut Lönnroth1, Brian G Williams, Peter Cegielski
1World Health Organization, Stop TB Department, Geneva, Switzerland. lonnrothk@who.int
International Journal of Epidemiology
|October 13, 2009
Summary
Higher body mass index (BMI) is linked to lower tuberculosis (TB) incidence. This systematic review confirms a consistent inverse relationship, suggesting weight management could impact TB rates.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Low weight for height is a known risk factor for tuberculosis (TB).
- Overweight individuals may have a protective factor against TB.
- No prior systematic review has explored the consistency or gradient of this relationship.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review cohort studies examining the relationship between weight-for-height and TB.
- To explore the consistency and gradient of the dose-response relationship between body mass index (BMI) and TB incidence.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of cohort studies.
- Transformation of weight-for-height data into body mass index (BMI).
- Fitting exponential trend lines to data sets to analyze the relationship.
Main Results:
- Six studies were included in the review.
- A consistent log-linear inverse relationship was observed between TB incidence and BMI (range 18.5-30 kg/m²).
- Each unit increase in BMI correlated with a 13.8% reduction in TB incidence.
Conclusions:
- A strong, consistent log-linear relationship exists between TB incidence and BMI across diverse settings.
- Further research is needed to understand the relationship at very low and very high BMI levels.
- Investigating the biological mechanisms and potential global impact of nutritional status on TB is recommended.
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