The study found that middle-aged men in the normal and overweight BMI group enjoyed more years free from cardiovascular disease than did obese middle-aged men. In middle-aged women, those who were in the normal BMI range had significantly more years lived free of cardiovascular disease than did overweight or obese women.
The incidence of cardiovascular disease was significantly delayed by an average of 7.5 years in middle-aged men of normal BMI and 7.1 years in middle-aged women of normal BMI, compared with those with morbid obesity.
In terms of longevity, men and women with normal BMI lived on average 5.6 years and 2 years longer, respectively, than did men and women with morbid obesity.
“The results of this study build on prior research from the Cardiovascular Disease Lifetime Risk Pooling Project highlighting marked differences in lifetime risks of CVD and further highlight the importance of consideration of BMI as a risk factor for diminished healthy longevity and greater overall CVD morbidity and mortality,” the authors wrote.