A new research has disclosed that obesity is closely linked with a higher risk of urinary tract infections (UTI).

To come to the solution whether obesity is related with a UTI diagnosis, Baltimore researchers assessed insurance claims of 95,962 people over a five-year period (from
2002 through 2006).

The researchers discovered that the chances of being diagnosed with a urinary tract infection increased with the increase in the body mass index (BMI).

This association was strongest for morbidly obese patients.

Anthony Y. Smith, MD, an AUA spokesman, said, "The effect of the obesity epidemic in the United States transcends any one medical specialty or condition."

"Patients with elevated body mass index should be vigilant about urologic health because even the most simple of urinary tract infections can be deadly if left untreated," Smith added.

The results of the study were presented at the 104th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA).