Characteristics of participants in the included studies
| First author (year) | Population | Total population (analysis population) | Age mean (SD) | Female (%) | Study population baseline weight status | |||
| Mean BMI or weight (weight ranges) | Healthy BMI (%) | Overweight (%) | Obese (%) | |||||
| Rosengren et al 29 | Men born in Goteborg, Sweden, between 1915 and 1925 participating in the Primary Prevention Study. | 6903 (6412) | 51.5 (2.3) | 0% | Midlife BMI 25.6 | 46 | 46 | 8 |
| Tedrow et al 24 | Female health professionals with no prior CVD who had participated in the Women’s Health Study (USA), a RCT of aspirin versus vitamin E. | 34 309 | 54.6 (7.0) | 100% | Mean weight 70.2 kg | 51 | 31 | 18 |
| Grundvold et al 23 | Prospective CVD survey of healthy male employees from five government institutions in Oslo, Norway, aged 40–59 years. | 2014 (1997) | 50.0 (5.5) | 0% | Mean BMI 25 | 60 | 36 | 4 |
| Huxley et al 30 | Participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, from four study sites across the USA. | 14 219 (10 239) | 54.2 (5.7) | 55% | Mean BMI 27.8 | 33 | 40 | 27 |
| Alonso et al 21 | The Look AHEAD trial (USA) randomised people aged 45–76 with T2DM to an intensive lifestyle intervention versus diabetes support and education. | 5067 (4906)* | 59.0 (7.0) | 60% | Mean BMI 36.0 | 0 | 100 | |
| Grundvold et al 22 | People with newly diagnosed T2DM in Sweden. | 7169 | 59.5 (10.3) | 47% | Mean BMI 31.1 | 10 | 36 | 54 |
| Johnson et al 25 | Middle-aged men in Swedish health screening programme. | 5633 | 47.0 (3.0) | 0% | Mean weight 77.1 kg | 57 | 43 | |
| Berkovitch et al 28 | Healthy people undergoing periodic private health screening in Israel. | 18 290 | 49.0 (11) | 27% | Mean BMI 26.1 | 42 | 44 | 14 |
| Diouf et al 27 | Respondents of the AusDiab general population survey of adults ≥25 years in Australia. | 8273 (5389 who had follow-up ECG) | 56.6 (11.7) | 52% | Not stated | 35† | 42† | 23† |
| Ball et al 26 | Population longitudinal cohort study involving cardiovascular disease screening via health survey and periodic study visits—The Tromsø Study, Norway | 14 652 (attended third and fourth survey and provided follow-up BMI data) | 34.1 (17.6) | 51% | Mean BMI 24.2 | Not stated Not stated | ||
Data is given for the total population unless otherwise stated.
*Estimated.
†Based on 8214 of the 8273.
‡Additional 1% underweight at baseline. Figures are based on total fourth study baseline data.
AF, atrial fibrillation; BMI, body mass index; CVD, cardiovascular disease; RCT, randomised controlled trial; T2DM, type 2 diabetes mellitus .