I received an email from my insurance company saying that a low BMI (17,5) increases all-cause mortality in women (Whitlock et al., 2009, Lancet; Katherine et al., 2005, JAMA). However, these articles are showing that the effects are strongest on smoker-related respiratory diseases and not in all women..
Furthermore, I am looking for an article that also controls for a genetic low BMI, since these articles don't!
Hi,
I don't know if there is something we can call genetic low BMI. But a lower than normal BMI doesn't necessarily mean a health problem. It may be sign of some disorders like hyperthyroidism, malnutrition, malabsorption, etc. that may increase risk of other diseases like cardiovascular diseases and thus increases all-cause mortality.
Always, a physician (better an endocrinologist) must interview and examine the person and run some tests to be sure that everything is OK.
Both genetic and environmental factors have been shown to influence the entire BMI range (low BMI-High BMI); however, the contribution of these factors to the low BMI phenotype is uncertain. Scientific evidence does exist linking the low BMI with disease-mortality risk in women; but whether this low BMI is due to genetic or environmental factors, is less well understood. Hope the following links be useful for you.
http://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i2156/rapid-responses
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3859471/
http://www.bmj.com/content/352/bmj.i582
Also I think there are both genetic and environmental fatctors can cause mortality in whom with low BMI.
http://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i2156
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4687114/