Obesity as a Risk Factor for Artherial Hypertension

Introduction: Today’s lifestyle is characterized by increased intake of calories with reduced physical activity, which benefits a real epidemic of obesity in the population. The increase in the prevalence of hypertension in the population follows a significant increase in the prevalence of obesity. Parallel to the trend of increasing the number of older population with increased cardiovascular disease. The aim: The aim of our study was to determine the value of body mass index and determine the correlation of obesity and arterial hypertension. Material and methods: The study was conducted in family medicine Clinic of the Primary Health Care Center Zenica. Out of 600 patients of both sexes aged over 18 years, randomly are formed groups of 188 patients with hypertension and 189 patients without hypertension of the same gender and same age. The study included patients with primary or essential hypertension, and excluded patients with secondary hypertension, hypertension due to renal disease, pheochromocytoma, coarctation of the aorta, as a result of taking oral contraceptives, corticosteroids, and cocaine. We used the method of anthropometric measurements (body weight, body height from which is calculated the body mass index) measurement of blood pressure with the statistical data processing at the significance level of p <0.05. Results and discussion: The increased value of BMI in the sample with hypertension are present in much higher percentage (87.23%), compared to the tested sample without hypertension (60.10%). In patients with hypertension, the highest percentage (51.06%) of the respondents has the BMI in range between 25 and 30, then BMI in the range between 30 and 35 (25%). BMI of 35-40 have 6.38% of patients, and 3.72 patients BMI over 40. In patients without hypertension was significantly smaller percentage of respondents in the previous group (39.15%) with a BMI in the range 25-30, then BMI in the range between 30 and 35 (18.51%). BMI of 35-40 had 3.17% of respondents, and 1.05% of patients had BMI over 40. Correlation between groups of patients with and without hypertension compared to the value of BMI indicate the presence of strong positive correlation (Rho = 0.737). Correlation between groups of subjects with hypertension and without hypertension compared to triglycerides was statistically significant (Rho = 0.123).