“This data is alarming because it is well established that a high BMI in middle age increases the risk of developing heart disease and other conditions,” said Ida Karlsson, assistant professor at the Karolinska Institute’s Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
However, according to this new study, the risk of developing heart disease varies widely among people who are obese.
The researchers used data from more than 15,000 twins from the Swedish Twin Registry, collecting information about their BMI and their genetic predisposition to high BMI. They also used data from medical registries to establish the incidence of heart disease in this group.