HYPERTENSION;

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HYPERTENSION AND BMI IN FAISALABAD DISTRICT.

Abstract

Background: Hypertension is a leading cause of CVDs whereas BMI is a major risk factor for hypertension. Objectives: The objective of the study was to determine whether an association exists between overweight & obesity and suspected cases of hypertension.Material and Methods: Study Design: Cross sectional study conducted in screening camps. Duration: From 19^th till 24^th February 2018. Setting: 45 Primary and Secondary healthcare facilities of Faisalabad District. Data Collection and Analysis: 43,943 people of Faisalabad district, age 25 and above were screened for hypertension. Height and weight of the study population was recorded for calculation of their BMI. People with BP Systolic >140m Hg and BP Diastolic >90mm Hg were labelled screened positive for hypertension. People with BMI less than 23 were categorized as normal. People with BMI between 23 to 24.9kg/m² were categorized as overweight and 25 kg/m² or higher as obese. Data was entered in SPSS v.23 for analysis. Frequency distribution and percentage were calculated for age, gender, screening for hypertension and BMI. Chi square was used as a test for significance for association between Hypertension and BMI. Results: 43,943 people aged 25 years and above were screened for hypertension. 5,320 people were screened as hypertensive. 68.7% were females and 31.3% were males. Mean age was 43.9±12.6 years. 28.1% of the study population was normal BMI. 14.9% of the population was overweight while 57% of the population was obese. The association between BMI and Hypertension was statistically significant. Conclusion: Overweight and obesity are strongly associated risk factors to developing hypertension. Screening for early detection should be periodically considered for general population to ensure prevention of CVDs.