Fatter older women have lower mortality Kwok Timothy. The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The association between body composition and mortality was examined in a cohort study. In 1995, 257 men and 263 women aged 69-82 years were recruited for screening for osteoporosis. All had body composition estimated by Dual energy X ray absorptiometry (Hologic QDR-2000 bone densitometer, Software: Enhanced Array Whole Body V5.67A). Their mortality up to 2004, nine years after the initial examination was traced by death registry and the computer database of the Hospital Authority which can capture all admissions to any publicly funded hospital in Hong Kong from 1997. Based on these the primary cause of death was categorized into vascular and cancer deaths by a physician. The mean fat percentage of men and women were 24.3 + SD 6.7% and 34.8 + 8.5% respectively. The subjects were divided into tertiles according to their fat percentages. There were a total of 159 deaths, 23 from vascular causes, 32 from cancer. In women, when compared with those in the lowest tertile of fat percentage, those in the middle and highest tertiles had lower odds ratios of mortality (0.47, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.89 for second tertile; 0.37, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.73 for highest tertile). No significant trend between fat percentages and mortality in men or between fat percentages and vascular or cancer mortality in both sexes. Key word: Body Fat, Mortality From "The 10th Congress of PENSA" Dusit Resort Pattaya, Chonburi, Thailand, October 27--29, 2004 : Page 178