This may seem counterintuitive – but losing weight in old age may increase your risk of premature death, a study finds.
Being overweight is associated with a host of health problems and doctors say you have the best chance for a healthy life if you maintain a healthy weight.
But a study conducted by researchers from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, found that those who lost weight over the age of 65 were a third more likely to die in the number of years.
To their surprise, no link was found between being overweight and an increased risk of premature death.
Weight loss in old age can lead to premature death because it can indicate underlying problems such as cancer and dementia (stock image)
Researchers believe that it is not the weight loss itself, but rather the cause of the weight loss.
For example, the common cold, diabetes, and heart, lung, kidney, and liver conditions cause loss of appetite, as do heavy medications.
Researchers from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia followed nearly 17,000 adults aged 65 and over.
The study included 16,703 Australian participants aged 70 and over and 2,411 US participants aged 65 and over without a history of cardiovascular disease, dementia, disability or chronic disease.
People who were recently hospitalized were also excluded because being an inpatient is often followed by weight loss due to illness.
Body weight and waist circumference were measured for participants at annual checkups between 2010 and 2014.
Among men, those who lost more than 10 percent of their weight were nearly 290 percent more likely to die early than men with a stable weight.
Women who lost more than 10 percent of their weight had a 114 percent higher death rate.
Compared to men with a stable weight, those who lost 5 to 10 percent of their weight had a 33 percent higher risk of premature death from all causes.
Women who lost the same range of weight had a 26 percent higher chance of dying early.
The link was found across starting weights, which means that even those who were obese were more likely to die early if they lost more than five percent of their weight.
Weight loss has also been linked to an early death from cancer.
More than 10 percent of the men losing weight indicated that they were 2.5 times more likely to die from cancer.
In women, more than 10 percent weight loss indicates that participants were 1.78 times more likely to die from cancer.
However, being overweight was not associated with an increased risk of premature death.
The participants were not asked about fluctuations in activity level and diet over the years.
Weight loss in old age can lead to premature death because it can indicate underlying problems such as cancer and dementia.
Lead study author Dr Munira Hussain, a clinical epidemiologist and research fellow in public health and preventive medicine at Monash University, said, CNNOur study found that even 5 percent weight loss increases the risk of death, especially in older men.
She added that weight loss is “often associated with decreased appetite due to inflammation and hormones.”
Movement problems and medication side effects can affect a person’s weight, such as social isolation, financial problems, and pain.
It’s important to remember that the study results do not mean that weight loss caused someone to die, said Peri Halperin, director of clinical nutrition at Mount Sinai Health System, who was not part of the study.
The study has been published in JAMA Network is open.
