Family History, BMI and Sympathetic Hyperactivity in Healthy Offsprings of Hypertensive Parents

Hypertension is associated with large and growing health and economic burden of Cardiovascular and renal diseases. Hypertension doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease(CHD), congestive heart failure, ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, renal failure and peripheral arterial disease.

Recent study suggests prevalence of Hypertension is increasing as a consequence of increasing obesity. Both environmental and Genetic factors contribute to the increased prevalence of Hypertension. Obesity and weight gain are strong, independent risk factors for hypertension. Aim of this study was to assess relation between Family history, BMI and autonomic function tests in healthy offsprings of hypertensive parents.

The present study was conducted in 35 normotensive healthy offsprings of Hypertensive parents (Study Group) and 35 normotensive healthy offsprings of Nonhypertensive parents (Control Group), in the age groupof 18–21 years, randomnly selected from 1^st and 2^nd MBBS Students of Shri. BM patil Medical College. Bijapur.

There is also significant increase in sympathetic function tests and insignificant increase in the readings of parasympathetic function tests and significant increase in resting Respiratory rate and Resting Systolic Blood Pressure in study group compared to control group.

This cross sectional study showed increase in prevalence of cardiac autonomic dysfunction more of sympathetic overactivity in normotensive healthy offsprings of Hypertensive parents, compared to normotensive healthy offsprings of Nonhypertensive parents.