Community collaboration improves blood pressure control by 13.5% in a medium-sized metropolitan area

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare CPP (a surrogate for aortic elasticity) in a population of 59 obese pts whose BMI was >30kg/sqm. These pts were divided into hypertensive obese (HTNO) 35 pts and normotensive obese (NTO) 24 pts. Both groups were also divided according to age to the following groups: 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and over 60 years of age. We also compared both groups, to a group of 100 volunteers (Control group, CTRL) that were normotensive and nonobese. CPP was determined using the Sphygmocor System. The mean CPP for HTNO pts was 48.8 15 mmHg. Mean CPP for NTO pts was 45.5 13 mmHg. Mean CPP for CTRL pts was 44.0 7.7 mmHg. The mean CPP difference between HTNO pts and CTRL pts was significant with a p 1⁄4 0.03; the mean CPP difference between NTO pts and CTRL pts was nonsignificant with a p 1⁄4 0.198. These results are shown graphically in figure #1. We conclude that even in a small population of HTNO and NTO pts, CPP was able to show a significant difference between HTNO compared to CTRL. This finding may suggest that hypertensive obese pts may have a higher vascular risk than NTO because of impaired aortic elasticity. Our preliminary finding should be confirmed by studying a larger population of obese pts and including pulse wave velocity.