Obesity is a major independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). There is conflicting data regarding the effect of obesity on in-hospital outcomes following revascularization with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

AIMS: To evaluate the effect of body mass index (BMI) on short-term in-hospital outcomes in a cohort of cardiac patients undergoing PCI at a tertiary care hospital centre in Ontario, Canada.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Retrospective analysis of data for 4,631 patients, aged 62.0±12 years, stratified by BMI. A BMI >25 kg/m² was present in 79% of patients, and 35% were obese (BMI ³30 kg/m²). Obese patients, particularly the class III obese, were significantly younger and had consistently adverse baseline CVD risk profile, including higher prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia (P<0.0001). In multiple logistic regression analysis, lower BMI was independently and significantly associated with higher risk of major bleeding requiring transfusion (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04 to 1.87, P=0.026), and femoral haematoma (adjusted OR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.25, P=0.002) in lean (<20 kg/m²) and normal BMI (20–24.9 kg/m²) patients. Obesity was not significantly associated with death, myocardial infarction (MI), repeat PCI, repeat CABG or major adverse cardiac event (MACE).