The obesity paradox for survivors of critically ill patients

Abstract

The obesity paradox has been observed in short-term outcomes from critical illness. However, little is known regarding the impact of obesity on long-term outcomes for survivors of critically ill patients. We aimed to evaluate the influence of obesity on long-term mortality outcomes after discharge alive from ICU. The adult patients who were discharged alive from the last ICU admission were extracted. After exclusion, a total of 7619 adult patients discharged alive from ICU were included, with 4-year mortality of 32%. The median body mass index (BMI) was 27.2 (IQR 24–31.4) kg/m2, and 2490 (31.5%) patients were classified as obese or morbidly obese. The morbidly obese patients had the highest ICU and hospital length of stay. However, higher BMI was associated with lower hazard ratio for 4-year mortality. The results showed the obesity paradox may be also suitable for survivors of critically ill patients.