Burden of Elevated Body Mass Index and Its Association With Non-Communicable Diseases in Patients Presenting to an Endocrinology Clinic

Introduction In the last 45 years, the worldwide rate of obesity has risen by nearly three-folds. Globally, 650 million adults are obese and more than 1.9 billion are overweight. The estimated prevalence of overweight and obesity in Pakistan was found to be 25% and obesity prevalence alone was 10.3% using the Asian-specific body mass index (BMI) criteria. According to the World Health Organization, overweight and obesity increase the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Objectives The aim of this retrospective observational study was to determine the burden of elevated BMI and its association with NCDs among patients presenting to a private endocrinology clinic. Study design This was a retrospective observational study conducted at Medicell Institute of Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism (MIDEM), and the study duration was two years. Methodology Medical records of the patients who visited MIDEM from January 2017 to December 2018 were reviewed. Patients’ data such as age (in years), gender, height (in cm), and weight (in kg), along with primary complaints and comorbidities were retrieved. BMI was calculated by dividing weight (in kg) by squared height (in m(2)). Results A total of 613 records were reviewed. The median age and BMI were 38 years (IQR=18 - 80 years) and 28.8 kg/m(2) (IQR=24.6-33.05 kg/m(2)),respectively. Out of 613 patients, 10.6% were overweight and 72.6% were obese. Among 510 (83.2%) patients with elevated BMI (≥23 kg/m(2)), the most frequent associated NCDs were dyslipidemia (39.2%), diabetes (32.5%), hypertension (31.4%), thyroid disorders (28.6%), metabolic syndrome (25%), subfertility (14.9%), impaired glucose tolerance (12.7%) and autoimmune diseases (6.9%). On age- and gender-adjusted logistic regression model, the risk of dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes was significantly higher in overweight and obese patients. Conclusion This study demonstrated a high prevalence of obesity in patients visiting the endocrinology clinic. Obesity was identified as an independent risk factor for dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. Future studies are suggested to determine the burden of obesity and establish its association with NCDs in the general population.