To Determine the Influence of Body Mass Index on Blood Pressure in People with Hypertension

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the effect of body mass index on blood pressure in adults with hypertension
Methods: A Cross-sectional survey was conducted in the Department of pharmacology,
Darbhanga medical college and hospital Laheriasarai, Darbhanga, Bihar, India, from July 2021
to August 2021. A total of 100 males and 100 females aged from 18 to 55 years were included
in the present study. Anthropometric measurements including height, weight, circumferences
(upper arm, calf), skin fold thicknesses (at triceps, biceps, subscapular, and suprailiac) and
physiological dimensions like blood pressure were taken on each subject.
Results: The basic measurements of males and females and the difference between the two
genders for the same. Mean values of height, weight, upper arm circumference, calf
circumference, pulse rate, SBP, and DBP were found to be significantly higher in males as
compared with females. Similarly mean values of BMI and fat percentage were also higher
among females. Age was found to have positive and statistically significant correlation with
both SBP (r = 0.22, P < 0.01) and DBP (r = 0.19, P < 0.01) among males and for females the
correlation between age and blood pressure (SBP and DBP) was r = 0.45, P < 0.01 and r =
0.28, P < 0.01, respectively. The prevalence of underweight was more in females as compared
with males. As assessed by SBP and DBP, maximum percentage of overweight males had
prehypertension; for SBP it was 50% and for DBP it was 40%. Among females also,
prehypertension was maximum in overweight females when SBP (52%) as well as DBP (39%) were considered. The differences in the various categories were found to be statistically
significant (chi-square P < 0.001). The prevalence of prehypertension and stage-I hypertension
increased 2.85 and 2.69 times, respectively, in overweight/obese males as compared with their
non obese counterparts. Almost 9.02 times higher rate of stage II hypertension was observed
in overweight/obese males as compared with their non obese counterparts. Among females
also, the prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension increased more than 2 and 3.80 times,
respectively, in overweight/obese subjects as compared with the non obese females.
Conclusion: The BMI being associated with prehypertension may suggest that such
individuals are at increased risk of progressing to frank hypertension.