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BackgroundPrognosis based on body fat percentage (BF%) in patients with coronary artery disease has not been extensively studied. We tested the hypothesis that patients with coronary artery disease and increased BF% have a higher risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) and that fat‐free mass is associated with better prognosis.Methods and ResultsWe included 717 patients referred to cardiac rehabilitation after coronary artery disease events or procedures who underwent air displacement plethysmography to assess BF%; 75% were men, with a mean age 61.4±11.4 years and a mean body mass index of 30±5.4 kg/m2. Follow‐up was performed using a record linkage system. Patients were classified in sex‐specific quartiles of BF% and fat‐free mass index. The composite outcome of MACEs included acute coronary syndromes, coronary revascularization, stroke, or death from any cause. After a median follow‐up of 3.9 years, 201 patients had a MACE. After adjusting for covariates, body mass index was not associated with MACEs (P=0.12). However, the risk of MACEs for those in the highest BF% quartile was nearly double when compared with those in the lowest quartile (hazard ratio, 1.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.30–2.77; P=0.0008). In contrast, fat‐free mass was inversely associated with MACEs. The risk of MACEs for those in the fourth fat‐free mass quartile was lower (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.35–0.82; P=0.004), when compared with those in the first quartile.ConclusionsIn patients with coronary artery disease, there is no obesity paradox when measuring BF% instead of body mass index. BF% is associated with a higher risk of MACEs, whereas fat‐free mass is associated with a lower risk of MACEs. Body mass index was not associated with MACEs.

We sought to review the epidemiological features and clinical implications of normal-weight obesity. The concept of normal-weight obesity has been recently reported as an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease, metabolic dysregulation, and poor functional outcomes. However, in clinical practice, normal-weight obesity is not commonly recognized. In this review, we examine the clinical significance and important epidemiological outcomes of normal-weight obesity and describe other variants of adiposity and adiposity-related metabolic status. The incorporation of measures of body fat content and distribution in the clinical setting could allow more accurate identification of adiposity-related long-term risk. This could in turn lead to early lifestyle changes and behavioral modifications that are essential to the treatment of obesity.

Among normal weight individuals without manifest cardiovascular disease, the combination of central fat distribution and low lean mass is associated with higher cfPWV. These factors are more closely related to cfPWV than total fat mass.