Body Roundness Index Associated With Cardiometabolic Multimorbidity and Mortality: A Multistate Model

Xi Cai1, Yicheng Liao2, Xuemei Yang3

  • 1Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Kailuan General Hospital, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, China.

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|September 29, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Body roundness index (BRI) is a key indicator for cardiometabolic disease (CMD) and multimorbidity (CMM) risk. Higher BRI levels predict increased risk of developing CMM and mortality, especially in women, highlighting the need for targeted prevention.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Metabolic Health
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) represent a significant global health burden.
  • Understanding novel biomarkers for CMD and cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM) is crucial for early intervention.
  • Body roundness index (BRI) has emerged as a potential indicator of central obesity and metabolic risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the associations between body roundness index (BRI) and the risk of developing cardiometabolic disease (CMD), cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM), and all-cause mortality.
  • To evaluate the impact of BRI across different stages of CMM progression.
  • To explore sex-specific and disease-specific differences in BRI associations.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective cohort study involving 87,902 participants from the Kailuan cohort.
  • Participants were categorized into BRI quartiles.
  • Cox proportional hazards models and multistate models were used to assess risks and transitions across CMM stages.

Main Results:

  • Over a median follow-up of 13.68 years, elevated BRI was associated with increased risks of first cardiometabolic disease (FCMD), CMM, and all-cause mortality.
  • Multistate analysis showed higher BRI quartiles were linked to increased risk of transitioning from healthy to FCMD and from FCMD to CMM.
  • BRI's impact on mortality varied across CMM stages, with a protective effect observed in the CMM stage for the highest BRI quartile. Associations were stronger in females.

Conclusions:

  • Dynamic monitoring of BRI serves as a valuable biomarker for early identification of CMM risk and prognostic assessment.
  • Disease- and sex-specific prevention strategies are necessary, considering the varying impact of BRI.
  • BRI monitoring can aid in personalized risk stratification for cardiometabolic disorders.
Abstract

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