Hypertension: Is it a concern only among the overweight and obese Garo women of Kamrup district, Assam?

Abstract

Hypertension is among the most important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. It was found that subjects who do vigorous physical activity, have brought down mortality and lowered the danger of cardiovascular sicknesses and are termed to be physically fit. The present study estimates the blood pressure level among all the physically active Garo women who have self-claimed to be physically fit. The aim of this paper is to see whether the prevalence of hypertension is found among the physically fit individuals or is only confined to unfit individuals among the study population. Data for the present cross - sectional study involving 862 plain Garo women of 18-70 years were collected from villages in the district of Kamrup in Assam, India. Anthropometric measurements, including Height, Weight, circumferences (arm, chest, waist, hip, calf) and indices like body mass index, waist to height ratio, waist to hip ratio, conicity index, body adiposity index and Physiometric measures including blood pressure (Systolic/diastolic) were measured. The blood pressure (systolic/diastolic) correlated positively with age. There was a high prevalence of systolic (43.8%) and diastolic blood (43.75%) pressure in the age group 50 – 54 years. Height was found to have a significant negative correlation with systolic/diastolic blood pressure. The highest prevalence of hypertension [Systolic: 33.03% (BMI) and 36.95% (BAI); diastolic: 39.14%(BMI) and 42.86%(BAI)] was found in the overweight/obese category. Among the underweight and normal categories more than 15% and 20% prevalence respectively were seen. The results of the CCA indicate that the present model explained around 0.9031 proportion of variance of the physiometric measures from anthropometric variables. The model also depicts that the most significant predictors of physiometric measures were Body Adiposity Index, Weight Height Ratio and Waist Circumference. The Garo women despite being absolutely fit physically are still wrangled by the triple burden of underweight, overweight and hypertension.