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For years now many believed the body-mass index (BMI) was a fair predictor of cardiovascular risk in people. A new study however, reveals this often used tool is NOT a good predictor of cardiovascular risk. Why? The BMI does not do a good job distinguishing between fat and muscle. Failure to do so may lead to inaccurate perceptions of one’s health and fitness level.

How BMI Is Calculated
Health providers calculate BMI by dividing a person’s weight (in kilograms) by height squared. Typically those with a BMI less than 25 are considered healthy, and those with a BMI over 25 are considered at risk for adverse health outcomes, obesity and more.

A new analysis conducted of more than 250,000 patients showed many with BMI’s under 20 were more at risk for heart disease than those with BMI’s of 30 to 35 (categorized as obese). Ordinarily patients with a BMI of 20 would be considered quite healthy. Not so according to the new study.

Why the conflicting results? For one, researchers believe BMI is a poor assessment of health in elderly citizens. The researchers who plan to publish the results of this study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that many times BMI did not correlate wit the amount of fat a person had, which is a greater predictor of cardiovascular risk. Second, the study shows that someone can have a BMI that is low, but still have a higher overall rate of body fat than someone who is athletic or muscular.

BMI Not Appropriate For Assessing Fat in Elderly
The study, conducted by researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine included 15,000 patients age 75 and older. The study results showed BMI is not an accurate predictor of cardiovascular risk among this health population.

The researchers also noted that waist-hip ratio to some extent is a better measure of abdominal fat, a risk factor for heart disease in most patients.

Is BMI Relevant At All?
The results of the study do not suggest BMI is not a relevant tool for assessing one’s risk for cardiovascular disease. Rather, BMI should be used in conjunction with other measurements including body fat measurements to assess someone’s overall risk for cardiovascular disease and other weight related problems.

The results of the study do show it is possible for someone to have a BMI higher than 25 and actually have more muscle than fat. It is however, also possible for individuals to misinterpreted their BMI results leading to a false sense of security. Someone may for example have a BMI of 24 yet be fatter, and more at risk, than someone with a BMI of 25 or higher in some cases.

Other signs and symptoms may also reveal one’s risk for cardiovascular disease. Examples include high blood pressure, total body fat, cholesterol and more.

How can you use the results of this study to your benefit? Be sure you visit your healthcare provider for an annual fitness examination. Have your doctor assess not only your blood cholesterol and blood pressure, but also your BMI, waist-to-hip ratio and total body fat. These measurements combined may help your doctor determine your risk for adverse outcomes or conditions including heart disease.