Association of childhood-to-adulthood body size trajectories with cardiovascular risk and all cause mortality
Authors' conclusion
Body size across the life course is associated with CVD and mortality, with progression to obesity from childhood to adulthood conferring the greatest risk.
Study context
- Population
- UK Biobank participants free of cardiovascular disease (CVD) at baselineUK Biobank
- Participants
- 456,461 participants
- Exposure
- Childhood body size, adulthood body mass index (BMI) and life-course body size trajectories
- Outcome
- Incident CVD (stroke, CAD, HF) and all-cause and cause-specific mortality
Methodological detailssex-stratified analyses
- Sex-stratified analyses
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Hazard ratio (95% CI)
Plumpervs About averageHF
1.21(1.14–1.28)
Plumpervs About averageCAD
1.08(1.04–1.11)
Obesityvs About averageHF
1.91(1.80–2.02)
Obesityvs About averageCAD
1.59(1.53–1.64)
Obesityvs About averageall-cause mortality
1.16(1.12–1.20)
Thinner-to-obesityHF
2.18(2.00–2.39)
Thinner-to-obesityCAD
1.72(1.62–1.81)
Thinner-to-obesityall-cause mortality
1.21(1.14–1.28)
Thinner-to-obesitystroke
1.24(1.02–1.52)
- Events during follow-up: stroke
- 2703
- Events during follow-up: Heart failure (HF)
- 13,349
- Events during follow-up: Coronary artery disease (CAD)
- 37,365
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Sex-stratified associations
- Associations were generally stronger in women
Original publication
Association of childhood-to-adulthood body size trajectories with cardiovascular risk and all cause mortality. Int J Obes (Lond). Published 30 April 2026. doi:10.
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