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Epidemiology and Population Health

Alterations of body mass index and body composition in atomic bomb survivors

International Journal of Obesity volume 37, pages 1123–1128 (2013)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

Obesity, underweight, sarcopenia and excess accumulation of abdominal fat are associated with a risk of death and adverse health outcomes. Our aim was to determine whether body mass index (BMI) and body composition, assessed with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), are associated with radiation exposure among atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors.

Design:

This was a cross-sectional study conducted in the Adult Health Study of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation.

Subjects:

We examined 2686 subjects (834 men and 1852 women), aged 48–89 years (0–40 years at A-bomb exposure), for BMI analysis. Among them, 550 men and 1179 women underwent DXA in 1994–1996 and were eligible for a body composition study.

Results:

After being adjusted for age and other potential confounding factors, A-bomb radiation dose was associated significantly and negatively with BMI in both sexes (P=0.01 in men, P=0.03 in women) and appendicular lean mass (P<0.001 in men, P=0.05 in women). It was positively associated with trunk-to-limb fat ratio in women who were less than 15 years old at the time of exposure (P=0.03).

Conclusions:

This is the first study to report a significant dose response for BMI and body composition 50 years after A-bomb radiation exposure. We will need to conduct further studies to evaluate whether these alterations affect health status.

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Acknowledgements

The RERF, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan is a private, non-profit foundation funded by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) and the US Department of Energy (DOE), the latter in part through DOE Award DE-HS0000031 to the National Academy of Sciences. This publication was supported by RERF Research Protocols RP no. 3-89 and no. 7-10, by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI (23790721), and a Health and Labor Science Research Grant from the MHLW of Japan (Comprehensive Research on Life-Style Related Diseases including Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes Mellitus: H23-Junkankitou (Seishuu)-Ippan-005). Miriam Bloom (SciWrite Biomedical Writing & Editing Services) provided professional editing. Grants: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B), JSPS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Studies, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan

    Y Tatsukawa, M Yamada, N Masunari, H Oyama & S Fujiwara

  2. Department of Statistics, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan

    M Misumi

  3. Japanese Red Cross Kyushu International College of Nursing, Fukuoka, Japan

    N Masunari

  4. Department of Molecular and Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan

    S Nakanishi

  5. Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, Japan

    M Fukunaga

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  1. Y Tatsukawa
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Correspondence to Y Tatsukawa.

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Tatsukawa, Y., Misumi, M., Yamada, M. et al. Alterations of body mass index and body composition in atomic bomb survivors. Int J Obes 37, 1123–1128 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2012.193

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