Recent studies have showed that a higher body mass index (BMI) in adolescence, even if it is within the normal range, is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases later in life.
The researchers have analysed a data of 2.3 million. 17 years old Israeli men and women who have had a medical assessment of military service. During 40 years, almost three thousand of them died from cardiovascular diseases, nearly half died of coronary heart disease.
A review of their BMI, when they were 17 years ago, showed that those with a BMI averaged 22.2 had 49 percent higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease in adulthood, although this BMI still falls into the normal range, and people are not considered obese.
Those with a BMI between 18.3 and 19.8 (the lower limit of normal) had a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease. One single study should not determine really strict conclusions, but it is clear that even in the absence of excess weight, it can affect the heart and vascular diseases later in life.