Obesity and Diabetes Mellitus as Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease in the Elderly

Abstract

In recent years, the prevalence of obesity has been increasing in older people with aging of the population. Obesity is the most important risk factor for several lifestyle-related diseases including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease in the elderly population as well as in the middle-aged population. However, the impact of obesity on incidence of lifestyle-related diseases and all-cause or cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality is weaker in the elderly population than in the younger population. It is also known that the relationship between waist circumference and CVD mortality in men aged