Is Obesity Surpassing Conventional Risk Factors in the Development of Coronary Artery Disease, Irrespective of Age?

In a retrospective study involving 300 obese patients who underwent cardiac catheterization from 2009 to 2012, 82% were found to have coronary artery disease (CAD). The patients were categorized into two age groups: Group A (<45 years) and Group B (>45 years). The study revealed that 79.4% of the patients had obstructive CAD and 20.6% had non-obstructive CAD. For Group A, male gender and smoking were significant risk factors for obstructive CAD, while hyperlipidemia was a significant risk factor for non-obstructive CAD. Group A also showed severe obstructive CAD even without other risk factors, unlike Group B. The study concluded that a BMI ≥30 kg/m² is an independent risk factor for early CAD development, and the severity of CAD in obese patients does not differ with age. Younger patients were more prone to single or double vessel disease, whereas older patients had a higher likelihood of multi-vessel disease. Obesity was linked to a higher incidence of CAD, as well as increased morbidity and mortality, independent of other risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, or hyperlipidemia.