Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) — People feel relieved when they lose a little weight, but this does not always indicate that you are healthy, as a new study shows that weight loss in the elderly is linked to early death and life-threatening diseases.
On the other hand, according to the study published in the journal “JAMA Network Open”, Monday, being overweight was not associated with mortality.
Dr. Munira Hussain, lead study author, clinical epidemiologist, and senior research fellow in public health and preventive medicine at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, said that what concerns medical professionals is weight loss in older people with health problems, but did not understand. The researchers completely examined the effect of weight change on healthy older adults.
The study included about 17,000 adults aged 70 and over in Australia, and more than 2,000 adults in the United States aged 65 and over. According to the study, each study participant was weighed during their annual check-up between 2010 and 2014.
Hussein explained, “Our study found that losing even 5% of weight increases the risk of death, especially in older men.”
On the other hand, she added, weight gain in healthy elderly people did not show any association with the risk of death.
Perry Halperin, director of clinical nutrition for the Mount Sinai Health System, who was not involved in the study, noted that this association was detected through the weights measured at the start of the study, meaning that people who were medically classified as obese were also at increased risk of losing weight. Weight>
Other health problems
The study was able to identify health problems from the start. Hussein said that people with diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, dementia, physical disabilities, or chronic diseases were excluded.
“The study also excluded those who were recently hospitalized, which is important because hospitalization is often followed by weight loss due to severe disease,” Halperin told CNN.
Hussein added that the study was not able to distinguish between whether people lost weight intentionally or unintentionally.
“No questions were asked about changes in activity level and diet quality, as measured by the initial study and subsequent study visits, so we have no information about how these factors affected the results,” Habrin said.
Why can losing weight be dangerous?
Weight loss may be a risk factor for death because it can indicate major health problems.
Hussein explained that weight loss may be a warning sign of diseases such as cancer and dementia, and “it is often associated with a decrease in appetite due to inflammation and hormones.”
Halperin said underlying chronic health conditions may also lead to weight loss in older adults through their impact on appetite, metabolism, and eating habits. Movement problems and medication side effects may also affect weight.
Halperin said that weight changes could be indicative of lifestyle concerns.
She added that social isolation is one of the main factors that contribute to weight loss in the elderly. Other concerns include financial limitations, pain, and discomfort.
Halperin said that in studies like this one, it’s important to remember that correlation is not causation. Although weight loss is associated with mortality, this does not mean that weight loss causes a person’s death.
It concluded, “It is also important to say that the opposite cannot be estimated or recommended, that is, being overweight will not necessarily reduce the risk of death.”
“As always, discuss your change in weight with your doctor or other medical professional,” she explained.