[Influence of body fat distribution on the prevalence of arterial hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors in obese patients].
BACKGROUND
Obese people are at higher cardiovascular risk than people with normal body weight. The objective of this study was to establish the relationship between obesity, body fat distribution and cardiovascular risk factors.


METHODS
Body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR) systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), plasma cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose levels were determined in a population of 499 overweight and obese patients (432F/67M; age 39 12.9y).


RESULTS
High prevalence of abnormal glucose tolerance or diabetes (21.8%), hypercholesterolenemia (49.1%), hypertri glyceridemia (21.3%) and hypertension (43.8%) were found in this population. The prevalence of hypertension increased from 23% in patients with BMI 25-29.9 kg/m  to 67.1% (p<0.05) in those with BMI > 40kg/m  and also from 35.7% in patients with WHR between 0.73 and 0.88 to 66.6% in those with WHR >0.97 (p<0.05). In addition, a correlation was found between the waist circumference and SBP (r=0.35; p<0.0001). In the hypertensive group, but not in the normotensive, SBP increased with BMI, from 150 12 mmHg in the overweight group to 161 18mmHg in that with BMI > 40kg/m , (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data reinforce the association between obesity and high cardiovascular risk. In addition, our findings suggested a role for body fat distribution in the development of hypertension in obese patients.
Carneiro
Gláucia
G
Disciplina de Endocrinologia da Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Faria
Alessandra N
AN
Ribeiro Filho
Fernando F
FF
Guimarães
Adriana
A
Lerário
Daniel
D
Ferreira
Sandra R G
SR
Zanella
Maria Teresa
MT
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001823:Body Composition; D001824:Body Constitution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors