Abstract P097: Association Of Non-appetitive Eating With Hypertension In Women: Mediation By Body Mass Index

Abstract

Introduction: Although non-appetitive eating phenotypes are associated with body mass index, the extent to which they are associated with hypertension is unknown. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that non-appetitive eating phenotypes are associated with hypertension. Methods: We examined participants in a substudy on disordered eating conducted in 2013-2015, nested within the prospective cohort, Nurses’ Health Study 2. Non-appetitive eating was defined by: 1) binge eating with loss of control; 2) disinhibited eating; 3) coping-motivated eating; and 4) food addiction. Prevalent hypertension was defined by self-reported clinician diagnosis. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (OR, 95% CI) were used to estimate the association of non-appetitive eating with prevalent hypertension, adjusted for age and race. The difference method was used to estimate the proportion of the associations mediated by body mass index. Results: After excluding missing exposure (n=421), the analytic sample included n=4,687 women (of n=5,108 women). Average age was 60 years (range: 49 to 68); 18% (n=824) reported binge eating with loss of control; average disinhibited eating score was 3 (range: 0 to 7); average coping-motivated eating score was 2 (range: 1 to 5); and 7% (n=349) reported food addiction. Non-appetitive eating was associated with higher odds of hypertension. Binge eating with loss of control was associated with 60% higher odds (95% CI: 1.37, 1.87) of hypertension. Per unit, disinhibited eating was associated with 18% (95% CI: 1.14, 1.21) and coping-motivated eating was associated with 38% (95% CI: 1.29, 1.47) higher odds of hypertension. Food addiction (yes versus no) was associated with a 108% higher odds (95% CI: 1.67, 2.60) of hypertension. Body mass index mediated more than 85% of the associations of each non-appetitive eating phenotype with hypertension. Conclusions: Non-appetitive eating is associated with hypertension. Body mass index explained almost all of the associations between non-appetitive eating and hypertension. Prospective studies are needed to confirm the direction of the associations.