Gender Differences in the Association of Anthropometric Indices of Obesity and Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Subjects

Obesity and hypertension are two major interrelated cardiovascular risk factors [1]. Data accrued during the past twenty years confirmed that SBP and DBP have a continuous, graded, strong, independent etiological relationship to Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). These relationships are documented for young, middle aged and older men [2]. Most of the persons aged 35 years or more have SBP or DBP above optimal (<120/<80) mmHg); hence, they are at increased cardiovascular risk. What this means is that the blood pressure problem involves most of the population, not only the substantial minorities with clinical hypertension. This cross sectional study measured the effects of various Anthropometric indices and Blood pressure in Hypertensive subjects.

Human subjects of both sexes were grouped into Group ‘A’ included Hypertensive male patients of age group 36 and above n=50 and Group B included Hypertensive female patients of age group 36 and above n=50. Anthropometric indices of the individuals were recorded as per protocol. Two Blood Pressure readings were taken with a standard Mercury Sphygmomanometer [3] at an interval of half an hour and a third reading was obtained after one week interval and Average of these three readings was considered as the Blood Pressure of the Individual [4].

The statistical analysis was done between males Group ‘A’ and females Group ‘B’ with their individual parameters. The Mean SBP of Group ‘A’ Males was 151.3mm Hg and that of the Females was 149.5mm Hg. Although the mean value of SBP in males was slightly higher in males compared to females as depicted in the ‘p’ value obtained is >0.10 and was Not Significant. The DBP in Group ‘A’ males had a Mean value of 97.4 mmHg and Females has a mean value of DBP 97.19 mm Hg. The resultant ‘p’ value obtained is ‘0. 8′ it is Not Significant. The mean values of Weight in males although was higher in males 68.3 Kilograms with SD ± 10.1 as compared to females 58.2 Kilograms and SD ± 9.6 the resulting ‘p’ value was 0.002 and was found to be Significant. There was no significant difference as far as the two groups are concerned in values comparing the BMI, WHpR (waist Hip Ratio) and WHtR (Waist Height Ratio) the values of ‘p’ in both the groups was >0.10 and therefore Not Significant.

Pearson correlation coefficient calculation and shows strongest correlation was shown by Waist Girth and WHpR in males of this group and BMI in females of this group with SBP. While WG, BMI, WHpR, WHtR were also associated with increased DBP did not show a significant correlation with the anthropometric indices.

In conclusion we found Waist Girth and Waist-Hip Ratio (WHpR) in males and BMI in females are the important predictors of SBP in Hypertensive subjects. Elevated WG, BMI, WHpR, WHtR were also associated with increased DBP but varied with age and gender.