Reduction in body fat improves metabolic risk : BMI-based measures alone are not adequate
Saravanan, Ponnusamy
Saravanan, Ponnusamy
Affiliation
George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust, Nuneaton; University of Warwick, Coventry
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Publication date
2025-03-19
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Abstract
After co-authoring two enjoyable joint editorials with my fantastic colleagues, I'm excited to return to my own editorial spotlight in this issue of Clinical Medicine. This edition continues our focus on maternal medicine, featuring a particularly timely piece by Varughese et al,1 which underscores the importance of pre-conception counselling for women using GLP-1 receptor agonists. As type 2 diabetes is being diagnosed at younger ages and the use of these medications is rising (including private use for weight management), more individuals are now conceiving while on these drugs. This makes early guidance and pre-conception counselling crucial.
But the article that truly caught my attention in this issue is the compelling study by Shin et al.2 Over 7 years, they followed more than 17,500 Korean adults who had at least three body fat measurements using bioimpedance analysis. Their findings? A ≥5% reduction in body weight significantly lowered the incidence of hypertension and dyslipidaemia, regardless of BMI.
While further studies in controlled settings are needed to account for confounding factors, this research delivers a simple, straightforward message: even small, relative improvements in body composition can yield significant metabolic benefits. For individuals at higher risk of metabolic disorders, this offers hope and motivation – it's never too late to make lifestyle changes to reduce our metabolic risk.
Citation
Saravanan P. Reduction in body fat improves metabolic risk: BMI-based measures alone are not adequate. Clin Med (Lond). 2025 Mar;25(2):100301. doi: 10.1016/j.clinme.2025.100301. Epub 2025 Mar 19.
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Article