Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-18-2025

Publication Title

Obesity

Abstract

Objective This study examined the association between obesity severity and cardiometabolic and renal disease, using BMI as a surrogate for obesity severity. Methods This is a cross-sectional study using data from the United States Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2011–2023. Survey-weighted logistic regression estimated odds ratios (OR) for the diagnosis of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, kidney disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, and coronary artery disease among increasing BMI categories. Results Higher BMI was associated with increased odds of all conditions. For BMI ≥ 50 kg/m2, odds were notably elevated for diabetes (OR 8.32; 95% CI: 7.78–8.91), hypertension (OR 6.07; 95% CI: 5.58–6.61), and kidney disease (OR 3.60; 95% CI: 3.21–4.03). The odds of cardiovascular disease also rose substantially, including myocardial infarction (OR 2.89; 95% CI: 2.56–3.28) and coronary artery disease (OR 3.44; 95% CI: 3.08–3.84). Mean age at diabetes diagnosis decreased with increasing BMI, from 52.2 years in Class I to 45.3 years in Class IV obesity. Conclusions Obesity severity is incrementally associated with cardiometabolic and renal disease burden, particularly among adults with BMI ≥ 50 kg/m2. These findings highlight the urgent need for early, aggressive interventions targeting individuals with all classes of obesity.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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