title: Significantly increased visceral adiposity index in prehypertension.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of prehypertension has increased in China, and prehypertension frequently progress to hypertension over a short time period; both have become public health problems. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the relationship between the Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI) and blood pressure (BP) in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional epidemiological survey was conducted in China using a stratified random cluster sampling method. Sex-specific VAI quartile cut-off points were used as follows: 0.88, 1.41, 2.45 in males and 0.85, 1.33, 2.22 in females. Prehypertension and hypertension were each defined according to The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7) guidelines. A multivariate logistic analysis was conducted to analyze the relationship among VAI, prehypertension and hypertension.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ORs for prehypertension and hypertension in the upper quartiles of the VAI were 1.514 (1.074-2.133), P=0.018 and 1.660 (1.084-2.542), P=0.020, in males, after adjusting for age, education, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, physical activity, serum creatinine, fasting glucose, and plasma insulin. Following further adjustments for the above confounders, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes, the ORs for prehypertension and hypertension in the upper quartile of the VAI were 1.660 1.533 (1.086-2.165), P=0.015, and 1.743 (1.133-2.680), P=0.011, in males. The ORs for prehypertension and hypertension in the upper quartile of the VAI were 1.691 (1.223-2.338), P=0.001, and 1.682 (1.162-2.435), P=0.006, in females, after adjusting for age, education, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, physical activity, serum creatinine, fasting glucose, and plasma insulin. Following further adjustments for the above confounders, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes, the ORs for prehypertension and hypertension in the upper quartile of the VAI were 1.688 (1.220-2.334), P=0.002, and 1.657 (1.141-2.406), P=0.008, in females.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A higher VAI was positively associated with both prehypertension and hypertension in both males and females. It is both essential and urgent that clinicians take steps to control and prevent visceral adiposity.
authors: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, The People's Hospital of Zhengzhou, Affiliated with Southern Medical University, Zhengzhou, P.R. China.
authors: Yanan
authors: Y
authors: Ding
authors: Department of Nephrology and Transplantation Center, The People's Hospital of Zhengzhou, Affiliated with Southern Medical University, Zhengzhou, P.R. China.
authors: Dongfeng
authors: D
authors: Gu
authors: Department of Nephrology and Transplantation Center, The People's Hospital of Zhengzhou, Affiliated with Southern Medical University, Zhengzhou, P.R. China.
authors: Yanxuan
authors: Y
authors: Zhang
authors: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, The People's Hospital of Zhengzhou, Affiliated with Southern Medical University, Zhengzhou, P.R. China.
authors: Wenjie
authors: W
authors: Han
authors: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, The People's Hospital of Zhengzhou, Affiliated with Southern Medical University, Zhengzhou, P.R. China.
authors: Hengliang
authors: H
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Nephrology and Transplantation Center, The People's Hospital of Zhengzhou, Affiliated with Southern Medical University, Zhengzhou, P.R. China.
authors: Qingshan
authors: Q
authors: Qu
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058246:Prehypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires