Correlation Between Body Mass Index and Blood Pressure Levels Among Hypertensive Patients: A Gender-Based Comparison.

Faran Khalid,Ghazala Panhwar,Atif Ali Hashmi,Jamil Ahmed Siddiqui,Adnan Anwar,Abubakkar Siddique,Simran Singh

doi:10.7759/cureus.10974

Abstract

ObjectiveBlood pressure (BP) has been found to rise among populations due to the high body mass index (BMI). Overweight and persons who have high BP are prone to develop heart diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between BMI and BP among hypertensive patients in both males and females aged 18 years and above.MethodologyA cross-sectional study was carried out among patients with a self-reported history of hypertension and anti-hypertensive medication. After taking ethical approval, a total of 337 patients aged 18 or above were selected by using convenience sampling. The duration of the study was six months. A detailed history was taken from each patient about hypertension associated symptoms with the help of a self-designed questionnaire. The BMI of the patients was assessed. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) was used to analyze the collected data. Spearman correlation was used, and p-value <0.05 was considered significant.ResultsIn a total of 337 patients, the mean age of the patients was 45.87±13.38 years. In which 176 (52.2%) were males and 161 (47.8%) were females. Their mean BMI level was 26.83±5.83 kg/m2, and the mean systolic blood pressure level was 141.78±13.00 mm Hg whereas the diastolic blood pressure was 85.21±10.03 mm Hg. The results also showed that among males the BMI had a significant negative correlation with both systolic blood pressure level (ρ = -0.212, p = 0.011) and diastolic blood pressure level (ρ = -0.208, p = 0.013), while in females the correlation was insignificant.ConclusionOur study results concluded that the BMI of the patients had a significant weak negative correlation with both systolic blood pressure level and diastolic blood pressure level in males; however, no significant correlation was found in females.

Highlights

The occurrence of obesity in European countries ranges from 10% to 20% for men and 10% to 25% for women [1]
The results showed that among males the body mass index (BMI) had a significant negative correlation with both systolic blood pressure level (ρ = -0.212, p = 0.011) and diastolic blood pressure level (ρ = -0.208, p = 0.013), while in females the correlation was insignificant
Blood pressure was measured using a sphygmomanometer with a stethoscope, and BMI was classified according to World Health Organization (WHO) classification [10]

Summary

Introduction

The occurrence of obesity in European countries ranges from 10% to 20% for men and 10% to 25% for women [1]. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2002 revealed that the overweight rate was 65%, and the obesity rate was 31% [2]. In a study on the epidemiology of obesity, the incidence of obesity was found to be higher among females as compared to males [3]. The increasing rate of overweight and obesity in the developing countries contributed to the rapid incline in nutritional, epidemiologic, and socio-economic burden [4]. As stated by the World Health Organization (WHO), overweight and obesity have become so common that they are substituting the more traditional public health distresses, such as undernutrition and contagious diseases [5]. The incidence of high blood pressure (HBP) in adults aged 25 and over was around

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Conclusion