Associations of general and central obesity with risk of premature mortality among Chinese adults: A nationwide prospective cohort study
Authors' conclusion
The combination of normal weight and central obesity significantly increases premature mortality risk, emphasizing the importance of integrating WHR into obesity assessments to improve risk stratification and prevention strategies among Chinese adults.
Study context
- Population
- Chinese adults, China Cardiometabolic Disease and Cancer Cohort Study
- Participants
- 162,776 adults
- Exposure
- General obesity (body mass index (BMI)) and central obesity (waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)) vs normal weight / no central obesity
- Outcome
- Premature mortality: all-cause mortality before age 75 years, incl. CVD-related and non-CVD-related
- Follow-up
- Median 10.1 years
Methodological detailsnationwide
- Nationwide
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Premature mortality
Each group vs normal weightHazard ratio (95% CI)
General obesityCVD-related premature mortality
1.53(1.30–1.82)
Central obesityall-cause premature mortality
1.20(1.11–1.31)
Central obesityCVD-related premature mortality
1.51(1.29–1.77)
Central obesitynon-CVD-related premature mortality
1.11(1.01–1.22)
- Premature deaths documented
- 5477 (3.36%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Interaction between BMI and WHR on premature mortality; joint BMI–WHR categories
- Interaction BMI × WHR
- P for interaction = 0.028
- Normal weight with central obesity: highest risk of all-cause premature death, HR
- 1.21 (1.06-1.37) (95% CI)
- General and central obesity: highest risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related mortality, HR
- 1.89 (1.50-2.39) (95% CI)
Original publication
Associations of general and central obesity with risk of premature mortality among Chinese adults: A nationwide prospective cohort study. Diabetes Obes Metab. Published 4 November 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →