Severe obesity, heart disease, and death among white, African American, and Hispanic postmenopausal women.

Objective: To compare mortality, nonfatal coronary heart disease (CHD), and congestive heart failure (CHF) risk across BMI categories in white, African American, and Hispanic women, with a focus on severe obesity (BMI ≥ 40), and examine heterogeneity in weight-related CHD risk.

Methods: Among 156,775 Women's Health Initiative observational study and clinical trial participants (September 1993-12 September 2005), multivariable Cox models estimated relative risk for mortality, CHD, and CHF. CHD incidence was calculated by anthropometry, race, and cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF).

Health characteristics of postmenopausal women with breast implants.

Background: Long-term health characteristics and quality of life in patients with breast implants are important issues in plastic surgery.

Methods: The authors evaluated characteristics of women who had breast implant surgery in the Women's Health Initiative observational study between 1993 and 1998. Most women in this study cohort had breast implant surgery 20 or more years before recruitment into the study.

Mortality and cardiac and vascular outcomes in extremely obese women.

Context: Obesity, typically measured as body mass index of 30 or higher, has 3 subclasses: obesity 1 (30-34.9); obesity 2 (35-39.9); and extreme obesity (> or =40).