The association between body mass index and incident hypertension in rural women in China

Abstract

Background/Objectives: To evaluate the association between body mass index (BMI) and incident hypertension in a cohort of rural women in the Chinese population. Subjects/Methods: A population-based sample of 11 468 rural Chinese women aged X35 years and free from hypertension at baseline were followed-up from 2004-2006 to 2008. We calculated BMI from measured weight and height. Incident hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure (BP) X140 mm Hg, diastolic BPX90 mm Hg or current use of antihypertensive medications. Results: During a median follow-up of 28 months, 2666 participants developed hypertension. Higher baseline BMI, even within the 'normal' range, was consistently associated with an increased risk of hypertension. Compared with participants in the lowest BMI quintile (18.5-21.1 kg/m 2 ), the multivariable-adjusted relative risks (95% confidence interval) of developing hypertension for women with a BMI of 21.2 to 22.4, 22.5 to 23.7, 23.8 to 25.4 and X25.4 kg/m 2 were 1.200 (1.058-1.361), 1.250 (1.100-1.419), 1.466 (1.291-1.666) and 1.785 (1.584-2.012), respectively (P for trend, o0.001). Further adjustment for baseline BP did not substantially alter these results. We found similar associations using other BMI categories and after excluding women with smoking history at baseline. The pattern of association also existed among old women (age X55 years). Conclusions:In this large cohort, we found a strong gradient association between higher BMI and increased risk of hypertension, even among older women within the normal BMI range. Clinicians should emphasize the importance of weight management for the primary prevention of hypertension in rural women in the Chinese population.

Body mass index, abdominal adiposity, weight gain and risk of developing hypertension: a systematic review and dose–response meta‐analysis of more than 2.3 million participants

“…S1. We identified 56 prospective cohort studies , whose characteristics are presented in Table S2. One study reported results for two separate cohort studies and was regarded as two different studies .…”

“…Finally, 57 prospective cohort studies with 2,343,466 participants and 216,182 incident cases of HTN were included in meta‐analysis. Twenty studies were from the USA , 13 studies were from Europe , 20 studies were from Asia , 2 studies were from Africa , 1 study was from Mexico and 1 was from Brazil . Baseline characteristics of included studies are presented in Table S2, and reported risk estimates in relation to different categories of anthropometric measures in each study are presented in Table S3.…”

Association of dietary pattern and body weight with blood pressure in Jiangsu Province, China

“…Many studies have indicated that body mass index (BMI) is generally positively associated with blood pressure [6], which is also the case in China [7]. Overweight and obesity is an emerging epidemic in China, with almost 30% of the adult population being classified as either overweight or obese [8].…”

Body mass index and waist circumference combined predicts obesity-related hypertension better than either alone in a rural Chinese population

“…However, little research has investigated people living in rural areas1011. Whether people with normal BMI but high WC or high BMI but normal WC would show increased risk of hypertension is unclear.…”