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Dixie E. Snider, Jr, MD

JAMA. 1987;258(22):3299.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

In a recent editorial, Comstock¹ said lean, underweight tuberculin reactors have a significantly higher risk of developing tuberculosis than persons above, or at, ideal body weight. Because many physicians may be unfamiliar with the data that support this assertion, a short review of the relevant literature seems appropriate.

The notion that a certain kind of body build predisposes a person to tuberculosis dates back at least to Hippocrates.² In the early part of this century, Reed and Love³ studied US Army recruits before and during World War I and found that tuberculosis developed much more frequently among men who were tall and thin than those who were short and heavyset. This build was not thought to be a result of tuberculosis since it was present long before disease became clinically evident. Similar findings were reported by Long and Jablon⁴ among men entering the army during World . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
Division of Tuberculosis Control Centers for Disease Control Atlanta

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