ABSTRACT
Background: With obesity turning into a global epidemic, the incidence of hypertension is also increasing and this is the morbidity due to its long term effect on the heart and kidneys. Identification of the disease at the earliest stage possible is crucial in preventing the irreversible pathologies occurring as a direct consequence of hypertension. Since the early disease course of hypertension is predominantly silent in most individuals, early diagnosis is largely rewarding to the patient as well as the physician. Aim of the study: To study the correlation between BMI and the incidence of hypertension in individuals with normal BMI and raised BMI. Material and methods: This was an observational study conducted among 1980 adults attending Non-Communicable disease OPD at Government Royapettah Hospital over a period of 12 months. BMI was calculated for all individuals and blood pressure was measured by standard technique. All the individuals were categorized according to JNC 8 and WHO criteria for BMI. The mean BP in each of the BMI categories was calculated and compared with each other. Similarly, the mean BMI was calculated for individuals falling in each of the BP categories and the incidence of hypertension was compared. Results: Among 1980 individuals studied, 1200 were diagnosed with hypertension. The mean BP of individuals with Normal BMI was found to be 127/88 mm Hg, whereas for those with overweight BMI was found to be 142/93 mm Hg. The BMI and BP correlation was found to be strongest with the Overweight individuals, where the mean BMI was 27.1 kg/m2 . Anuradha Hariharan, Malathi Shanmugam, Lakshmi Priya. A cross-sectional study on newly detected hypertensive individuals and its correlation to BMI. IAIM, 2019; 6(11): 47-51. Page 48 Conclusion: The association between BMI and BP is positive across tens of thousands of individuals in population subgroups, and, if causal, given its magnitude, would have significant implications for public health.