Anthropometric indices and the incidence of hypertension: a comparative analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between several anthropometric measurements of obesity with the incidence of hypertension.


METHODS
Participants were 592 individuals free of hypertension, selected at random from the community. In the baseline evaluation, they were submitted to completed measures of demographics, anthropometrics, blood pressure, and other risk factors for hypertension. Incident hypertension was defined by blood pressure equal or higher than 140/90 mm Hg or use of blood pressure-lowering drugs.


RESULTS
During a mean follow-up time of 5.6 +/- 1.1 years, 127 developed hypertension. The hazard ratios for the development of hypertension, adjusted for age, baseline blood pressure, gender, and alcohol consumption, were 1.042 (p = 0.091) for BMI, 1.023 (p = 0.028) for waist circumference, 1.042 (p = 0.013) for waist-to-height ratio, 1.061 (p = 0.014) for waist-to-height(2) index, 1.079 (p = 0.022) for waist-to-height(3) index, and 1.033 (p = 0.006) for the waist-to-hip ratio.


CONCLUSIONS
The correction of the circumference of waist for stature or hip circumference improves its performance in the prediction of the incidence of hypertension.
Fuchs
Flávio D
FD
Division of Cardiology, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil. ffuchs@hcpa.ufrgs.br
Gus
Miguel
M
Moreira
Leila B
LB
Moraes
Renan S
RS
Wiehe
Mário
M
Pereira
Gérson M
GM
Fuchs
Sandra C
SC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio / Q000379:methods