High BMI and poor physical fitness in the upper teens are risk factors for sepsis and other serious bacterial infections later in life. A study shows that.
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have followed more than one million Swedish men for more than three decades to investigate the relationship between early health status and the risk of serious infections later in life. The study is based on data linked together from the National Conscription Register, the Patient Register and the Cause of Death Register.
Early health measures and later infection risk
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When the men enlisted, their BMI and physical fitness were measured. Based on these values, the participants were divided into different groups, which were then compared to see the risk of suffering from bacterial pneumonia, heart valve infection or sepsis in adulthood.
– That high BMI and poor physical condition at a young age are risk factors for cardiovascular disease and cancer later in life has long been known. We have also shown that this applies to covid-19, but whether these factors can be linked to the occurrence of serious bacterial infections in adulthood has not previously been studied, says Josefina Robertson, associate professor of infectious medicine at Gothenburg University and infectious disease physician at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, in a press release.
Increased risk already at a high normal weight
During the follow-up period, roughly 44,000 cases of serious bacterial infections were identified in the study material. Pneumonia was most common, followed by sepsis. The results show a clear connection between high BMI and low fitness at the time of enlistment and later suffering from – or dying from – these infections.
The risk was already elevated at a high normal weight, defined as BMI 22.5–25, and then increased progressively with increasing BMI and poorer fitness.
High BMI and low fitness level were found to be particularly clear risk factors for suffering from sepsis. Among people with obesity, the incidence of sepsis was more than three times higher compared to those with low normal weight. The risk of dying from sepsis was over four times greater.
Early interventions for better health
The study is the first to show a connection between BMI and physical condition in youth and the risk of being affected by bacterial infections later in life.
– The findings are particularly relevant today when overweight, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle are becoming increasingly common, while antibiotic resistance is increasing. The results therefore underline the importance of early interventions to promote a healthy weight and physical activity already in youth, both for the future health of the individual and society, says Birger Sourander, PhD student at Gothenburg University and ST physician at Sahlgrenska University Hospital.
The researchers’ analyzes were adjusted for factors such as muscle strength, socioeconomic status and asthma. This is to give as fair a picture as possible of the link between BMI, fitness and future risk of infection.
Scientific article:
High BMI and low cardiorespiratory fitness in adolescence are associated with increased risk of severe bacterial infections in adulthood, Journal of Internal Medicine.
