BACKGROUND "Obesity paradox" refers to an association between obesity and reduced mortality (contrary to an expected increased mortality). A common explanation is collider stratification bias: unmeasured confounding induced by selection bias. Here, we test this supposition through a realistic generative model. METHODS We quantify the collider stratification bias in a selected population using...

(CVD) risk factors, CV structure and function, and increases the prevalence of most CVD, including coronary heart disease (CHD) and heart failure (HF) (2,3). Nevertheless, we reported an obesity paradox in 6 studies of 22,807 patients with HF (4); a metaanalysis of 89 studies in 1.3 million patients with established CHD which confirmed a strong obesity paradox (5); and a meta-analysis by Flegal...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Obesity is a risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular death but, despite this, an inverse relationship between overweight or obesity and a better cardiovascular prognosis in long-term follow-up studies has been observed; this phenomenon, described as obesity paradox, has also been found evident in atrial fibrillation cohorts. METHODS We performed a systematic review...

The obesity paradox has been used to describe the observed phenomenon described by several studies that indicated improved survival for critically ill patients with mild to moderate obesity when compared with their lean counterparts. The study by Arabi and coworkers challenges the obesity paradox concept for critically ill obese patients with septic shock. Their data indicate that obesity, per ...

See related articles, pages 3397 and 3646. Obesity has a well-known association with initial incidence of cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and early death. However, a growing number of studies have found that overweight and frankly obese patients who survive the first event tend to have improved subsequent cardiovascular (CVD)1,2 and cerebrovascular disease burden,3,4 morbidity, and mort...

Adipose tissue has been shown to be a pivotal organ in the aging process and in the determination of life span. Owing to the rising prevalence of obesity, especially at younger ages, a potential decline in life expectancy is expected in the U.S. in the 21st century. Obesity, and mainly its abdominal form, is considered a major risk factor not only for type 2 diabetes, lipid disorders, and hyper...

Although obesity in young people is a risk factor for morbidity and mortality, the effect of obesity in the elderly is much more complex. For example, the body weight associated with maximal survival increases with increasing age. Even more striking is the 'obesity paradox' in the elderly, in which overweight is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease but decreased mortality f...