In people with diabetes, fat mass index, not body mass index (BMI), is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular events, according to new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Heart disease is a major cause of death worldwide, and obesity is a major risk factor. Body mass index, a common measure of obesity, has been recently shown to be an imperfect metric because it does not distinguish between lean muscle mass and fat mass. When issues related to obesity are studied, suitable metrics that describe obesity accurately are extremely important.