Association Between Body Mass Index and Pulmonary Thromboembolism in an Autopsy Population

• NCJ Number: 242064
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 57 Issue: 5 Dated: September 2012 Pages: 1336-1338
• Author(s): Hannah E. Rosenfeld; Michael Tsokos, M.D.; Roger W. Byard, M.D.
• Date Published: September 2012
• Length: 3 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Technical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

To evaluate the association between obesity and pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) in a forensic context, 160 autopsy cases of fatal PTE were compared with age- and gender-matched controls.

Abstract

To evaluate the association between obesity and pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) in a forensic context, 160 autopsy cases of fatal PTE were compared with age- and gender-matched controls. The mean age of cases was 66 years (range 26-98 years; M/F 74:86). The mean body mass index (BMI) of cases with PTE was 30.88 (range 14.95-79.51), which was significantly higher than in the controls (mean BMI = 25.33; range 12.49-61.84) (p less than 0.0001). Comparing the group with PTE with controls showed that 5 (3.1 percent) compared to 20 (12.5 percent) were underweight, 39 (24.4 percent) compared to 67 (41.88 percent) were of normal weight, 49 (30.63 percent) compared to 43 (26.88 percent) were overweight, 43 (26.88 percent) compared to 24 (15 percent) were obese, and 24 (15.0 percent) compared to 6 (3.75 percent) were morbidly obese. In each category of above-normal BMIs, there were significantly greater numbers in the groups with PTE: overweight (p less than 0.01), obese (p less than 0.001), and morbidly obese (p less than 0.0001). Abstract published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons.