High body mass index within the normal weight range and risk of type 2 diabetes and hypertension in US and Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Pooled result · T2DResult — go to the resultRelative risk 1.78 95% CI 1.30–2.45Authors' conclusion
Compared with lower normal weight BMI values, higher BMI within the normal range was associated with a higher risk of T2D and hypertension, suggesting that current BMI classifications may not fully capture the increased risk among individuals at the upper end of the normal weight spectrum.
Study context
- Population
- Cohort studies from the US and Europe (Asian studies excluded) reporting risk of T2D or hypertension by body mass index (BMI) within the normal weight range11 cohort studies
- Comparison
- High normal weight BMI vs lower normal weight BMI
- Outcome
- Risk of T2D or hypertension
Methodological detailsrandom-effects meta-analysis, PubMed and Scopus searched, updated PubMed search through October 2025
- Random-effects meta-analysis
- PubMed and Scopus searched, updated PubMed search through October 2025
Pooled result
T2D
Relative risk
1.78
95% CI 1.30–2.45
High normal weight BMIvs Lower normal weight BMI
RR 1.78 (95% CI 1.30–2.45)
As reported in the abstract
Further pooled results
Hypertension (3 US cohort studies; n = 3 studies with 129,046 participants and 22,254 cases)
- Hypertension, high vs lower normal weight BMI: RR
- 1.42
- 95% CI
- 1.33-1.51
- I2
- 0
- Low certainty evidence
- Evidence for hypertension was limited
Original publication
High body mass index within the normal weight range and risk of type 2 diabetes and hypertension in US and Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Obes (Lond). Published 12 August 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →