Biomarkers · Anthropometric
Body Mass Index (BMI)
U-shaped: both low and high values carry risk. In NHANES 1999–2018 with linked mortality to 2019, each standard deviation is associated with a hazard ratio of 1.03. U-shaped: slope not comparable
NHANES, our fit with 95% CIPublished curve
Hazard ratios relative to each curve's own reference value, so the two curves need not cross 1 at the same point. The dotted vertical line marks the NHANES median.
NHANES hazard per SD1.0395% CI 1.00–1.06 · 50,698 adults, 7,280 deaths
Published hazard ratio1.44top vs bottom quarter (95% CI 1.40–1.49) · Individual-participant-data meta-analysis of 239 prospective studies, 10,625,411 adults in 32 countries; primary analysis restricted to 951,455 never-smokers without chronic disease at baseline, median follow-up 13.7 years
Across cohorts, HR per SD1.03NHANES 1.03 [1.00–1.06] · CRELES 1.10 [0.95–1.28] · HRS 1.04 [1.01–1.08]
Where people sit
Population percentiles (kg/m2) by sex and age band. Cycle or source as recorded in the catalogue.
| Sex | Age | 5th | 25th | Median | 75th | 95th | n | Cycle / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 20-39 | 18.5 | 23.8 | 26.5 | 30.5 | 38.5 | 2,680 | 2017-2018 |
| All | 40-59 | 18.5 | 24.8 | 28.2 | 32.8 | 42.5 | 2,630 | 2017-2018 |
| All | 60+ | 18.5 | 25.2 | 29.0 | 33.5 | 43.5 | 2,790 | 2017-2018 |
| All | all | 18.5 | 24.5 | 28.0 | 32.5 | 42.0 | 8,100 | 2017-2018 |
| Men | all | 19.0 | 24.5 | 27.5 | 32.0 | 40.5 | 3,950 | 2017-2018 |
| Women | all | 18.2 | 24.5 | 28.5 | 33.0 | 43.5 | 4,150 | 2017-2018 |
Sources
- Hazard curve: Synthesized from mortality_association (HR=1.44 quartile_extreme); per-SD log(HR)=0.285. Reported as threshold HR=1.44 for all-cause mortality. HR for obese (BMI >=30) vs normal-weight (BMI 18.5-<25, restricted to 20-<25 in primary analysi
- Global BMI Mortality Collaboration (Di Angelantonio E, et al.). Body-mass index and all-cause mortality: individual-participant-data meta-analysis of 239 prospective studies in four continents. Lancet. 2016;388(10046):776-786.
- Empirical curve: our Cox model with age and sex, NHANES 1999–2018 with linked mortality to 2019.
Map Body Mass Index (BMI) against another biomarker · Featured: HbA1c × body mass index.