International Journal of Medical and All Body Health Research  |  e-ISSN: 2582-8940  |  Double-Blind Peer Review  |  Open Access  |  CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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     2026:7/4

International Journal of Medical and All Body Health Research

e-ISSN: 2582-8940 | Open Access

Role of Body Mass Index in Cardiovascular Efficiency: A Narrative Review

Dr. Prashant, Dr. Bimal Kumar, Dr Durgesh Kumar Gupta, Dr. Shibu Awasthi, Dr. Shivangi Saxena, Dr. Medha Kumari Jr, Dr. Pradyuman Kaushik Jr

Department of Physiology, Dr. KNS Memorial Institute of Medical Sciences, Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, India; Professor and HOD, Department of Physiology, Dr. KNS Memorial Institute of Medical Sciences, Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, India; Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Dr. KNS Memorial Institute of Medical Sciences, Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, India; Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Dr. T.S Mishra medical Collage, Lucknow, India 6, Junior resident, Department of Anatomy, LLRM medical collage Meerut, India; Junior resident, Department of microbiology, Rajshree medical Collage, Bareilly, India

Article Information

Volume / Issue7 / 3 (July-August 2026)
Pages49-52
AccessOpen Access

Publication Timeline

  • Received12 May 2026
  • Accepted11 June 2026
  • Published

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Abstract

Background: Body mass index (BMI) is the most widely used proxy of adiposity in clinical and epidemiological practice, yet its relationship with cardiovascular efficiency—the capacity of the heart and circulation to deliver and utilise oxygen per unit of physiological cost—remains incompletely characterised. 
Objective: This narrative review synthesises evidence on how BMI relates to cardiorespiratory fitness (VO₂max), cardiac structure and function, and cardiovascular outcomes. 
Methods: Peer-reviewed cohort studies, cross-sectional analyses, meta-analyses and reviews published between 1989 and 2025 were retrieved from PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science and synthesised narratively. 
Findings: Higher BMI is consistently associated with lower VO₂max, the association being stronger in women and for central-adiposity measures. Elevated BMI drives volume overload, left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction, while higher fitness substantially attenuates mortality risk and frequently outperforms BMI as a prognostic marker. After established cardiovascular disease, an “obesity paradox” of improved survival is observed. 
Conclusion: BMI is a useful but imperfect index of cardiovascular efficiency; integrating cardiorespiratory fitness and body-composition measures refines risk stratification.
 

Keywords

Body mass indexCardiorespiratory fitnessVO₂maxObesity paradoxLeft ventricular functionCardiovascular efficiency

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How to Cite

Prashant, Kumar, B., Gupta, D. K., Awasthi, S., Saxena, S., Jr, M. K., & Jr, P. K. (2026). Role of Body Mass Index in Cardiovascular Efficiency: A Narrative Review. International Journal of Medical and All Body Health Research, 7(3), 49-52. https://doi.org/10.54660/IJMBHR.2026.7.3.49-52

Prashant, et al. "Role of Body Mass Index in Cardiovascular Efficiency: A Narrative Review." International Journal of Medical and All Body Health Research, vol. 7, no. 3, 2026, pp. 49-52. https://doi.org/10.54660/IJMBHR.2026.7.3.49-52.

Prashant, Kumar, B., Gupta, D. K., Awasthi, S., Saxena, S., Jr, M. K. and Jr, P. K. (2026) 'Role of Body Mass Index in Cardiovascular Efficiency: A Narrative Review', International Journal of Medical and All Body Health Research, 7(3), pp. 49-52. doi: 10.54660/IJMBHR.2026.7.3.49-52.

Prashant, Kumar B, Gupta DK, Awasthi S, Saxena S, Jr MK, et al. Role of Body Mass Index in Cardiovascular Efficiency: A Narrative Review. International Journal of Medical and All Body Health Research. 2026;7(3):49-52. doi:10.54660/IJMBHR.2026.7.3.49-52

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