PP.29.01

Abstract

Objective: The aim of our analysis is to determine how strong the relationship between hypertension and obesity. Design and method: Our study included a random sample of 1975 volunteers (1093 women and 882 men) aged 25–64 years, resident in Brno. Study participants were selected from the databases of Czech health insurance companies and examined as per protocol of the Czech Post-MONICA survey. The parameters determined included body height and weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, and body fat percentage using bioimpedance analysis with an InBody 370 device (Biospace, Seoul, Korea). Results: Using the body mass index (BMI), the prevalence of obesity and overweight in the study population was 17.42% and 34.68%, respectively. Another 22.11% of volunteers were found to have “normal weight obesity”, i.e., increased amount of adipose tissue even in normal-weight individuals (term coined by Gallagher et al., 2000) whereas 31.59% were classified as obese by their waist circumference (central obesity). Based on their office blood pressure (mean of 2nd and 3rd measurements) or a history of hypertension, 39.39% were identified as hypertensives. As BMI increases (two-sample Z-test) so do the odds of developing hypertension both in the general population, and in women and men separately (except for a non-significant odds ratio in a subgroup of underweight men compared with normal-weight men). Obesity, as defined by waist circumference, was associated with a significant and marked increase in the odds of developing hypertension in all study participants (5.8-fold overall, 6-fold in females, and as high as 6.5-fold in males) compared with individuals with normal waist circumference. Conclusions: Obesity as defined using various methods is a major risk factors for the development of hypertension. The obese should have their blood pressure monitored more often than those with normal weight and waist circumference. Waist circumference is a simple screening tool for estimating the odds of developing hypertension. Obesity is thus an appropriate target for intervention designed to reduce the risk of developing hypertension.