Increased risk of pneumonia in obese men

Men who are obese have an increased risk of pneumonia compared to men with normal weight. This is reported in a publication by researchers from Department of Clinical Epidemiology and colleagues. The study is based on data from the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health Study and researchers found that moderately obese men had a 40 percent larger risk of pneumonia than normal weight men. For very obese men with a body mass index (BMI) above 35, the risk was up 50 percent compared to normal weight men. The risk is not due to obesity itself but the development of chronic diseases related to obesity. Among women, the researchers did not detect any difference in pneumonia risk in relation to weight. The study results have been published in the European Respiratory Journal as well as in numerous media following a story from Reuters.