Influence of Diabetic Retinopathy on the Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Mortality in Patients with Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes

PURPOSE: An “obesity paradox” has been observed in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, the optimal body mass index (BMI) for survival may be influenced by the stage of diabetes. We examined the relationship between BMI and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes and the influence of diabetic retinopathy (DR). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort composing patients with type 2 diabetes who were admitted due to poor glucose control. Presence of DR was confirmed by ophthalmologists. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. The association between BMI and mortality was assessed using a Cox proportional hazards model with adjustment for age, sex, and traditional risk factors. RESULTS: A total of 2053 patients were enrolled. Over median follow-up of 6.7 years, there were 1060 deaths. Patients were classified into five categories based on admission BMI (kg/m(2)): <18.5, 18.5‒23, 23‒25, 25‒27 (reference), 25‒30 and >30. Mortality risk was significantly higher in the <18.5 kg/m(2), 18.5–23 kg/m(2), and 23–25 kg/m(2) categories than in the reference category (P <0.001). The similar obesity paradox was observed in the subgroup of patients without DR. However, in patients with DR, only patients with BMI <18.5 kg/m(2) had significantly increased mortality than those in the reference category. The presence of DR significantly modified the shape of the association between BMI and mortality (P = 0.019). CONCLUSION: The obesity paradox exists in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. The presence of DR appears to significantly influence the shape of the association between BMI and mortality.