Biomarker evaluation as a potential cause of gender differences in obesity paradox among patients with STEMI.

BACKGROUND: Obesity with its worldwide growing prevalence is an established cardiovascular risk factor with increased morbidity and mortality. However, the phenomenon, that mild to moderate obesity seems to represent a protective effect on diseases has been termed the "obesity paradox".

METHODS: We retrospectively assessed 529 patients (72.6% male, mean age 59.7±12.7years) admitted with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The female and male study populations were separated into four body mass index (BMI) groups: ≤24.9kg/m(2), 25.0-29.9kg/m(2), 30.0-34.9kg/m(2) and ≥35.0kg/m(2). Blood samples of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) were analyzed.

RESULTS: With increasing BMI group the rate of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) decreased in all patients (test for trend p=0.041). No gender difference between MACE and BMI could be noticed (p=0.16). A higher risk for MACE was indicated in group BMI ≤18.5kg/m(2) in comparison to group BMI 25.0-29.9kg/m(2) (OR: 7.93; 95% CI: 1.75-35.89; p=0.0091), whereas group BMI 30.0-34.9kg/m(2) was significant associated with a lower risk in comparison to group BMI 25.0-29.9kg/m(2) (OR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.21-1.96; p=0.044). An association between HDL-c (p=0.55) or LDL-c (p=0.10) and MACE could not be detected.

CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates that patients with STEMI and a BMI of 30.0-34.9kg/m(2) have a decreased risk for MACE compared to patients with normal BMI. No gender related differences were indicated. An association between MACE and lipoproteins could not be detected.