Newly defined clinical obesity versus body mass index ‐defined obesity: Differential risks of overall death and adverse events in a population‐based cohort
Authors' conclusion
The clinical obesity classification helps to define a high-risk phenotype with substantially increased risks of mortality and major comorbidities, while pre-clinical obesity defines a distinct subgroup with more favourable outcomes.
Study context
- Population
- UK Biobank participants
- Participants
- 93,410 / 13,875 / 126,544 / 375,585
- Exposure
- Clinical obesity and pre-clinical obesity vs body mass index (BMI)-defined obesity
- Clinical obesityn = 93,410
- Pre-clinical obesityn = 13,875
- BMI-defined obesityn = 126,544reference
- Non-obesityn = 375,585
- Outcome
- Death, cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic kidney disease (CKD) and liver-related events (LREs)
- Follow-up
- Median 15.8 years
Methodological detailsstratified analyses by comorbidity burden, severity of adiposity, and presence of diabetes or hypertension
- Stratified analyses by comorbidity burden, severity of adiposity, and presence of diabetes or hypertension
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Death, LRE, CVD and CKD
Each group vs BMI-defined obesityEstimate (95% CI)P value
Clinical obesity
HR (death) 1.097(1.071–1.125)
P < 0.001Clinical obesity
HR (LRE) 1.103(1.040–1.169)
P < 0.001Clinical obesity
HR (CVD) 1.118(1.091–1.146)
P < 0.001Clinical obesity
HR (CKD) 1.111(1.081–1.141)
P < 0.001Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
- High-risk clinical obesity subgroups with multiple comorbidities or severe adiposity showed particularly increased risks
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Newly defined clinical obesity versus body mass index ‐defined obesity: Differential risks of overall death and adverse events in a population‐based cohort. Diabetes Obes Metab. Published 10 November 2025. doi:10.
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