Original scientific paper
A Comparative Study of Adiposity and Central Body Fat Distribution of Normotensive and Hypertensive Older Bengalee Hindu Women of Calcutta, India
K. Bose
A. B. Das Chaudhuri
Abstract
A comparative investigation of 134 normotensive and 145 hypertensive Bengalee
Hindu older women (aged 50 years and above) of Kalighat, South Calcutta, India, was
undertaken to study differences in levels of adiposity and central body fat distribution
between the two groups. Results revealed that hypertensive (HT) subjects had significantly
(p < 0.05) greater (age controlled) mean values of weight, body mass index (BMI),
minimum waist circumference (MWC) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) compared with normotensive
(NT) subjects. Percentile distributions for all these variables and index showed
consistently higher values among the HT patients as compared with NT subjects. The
frequency of central obesity (WHR > 0.85) was significantly higher ( 2 = 5.16178, p < 0.025)
among HT (62.8%) patients compared with NT (49.3%) subjects. Multiple regression
analyses revealed that BMI and WHR had significant effect (age controlled) on SBP
(BMI: p < 0.01; WHR: p < 0.005) and DBP (BMI: p < 0.05; WHR: p < 0.005). The significant
impact (p < 0.05) of WHR on SBP and DBP remained even after controlling for
BMI. Thus, these results indicated that hypertensive individuals have significantly enhanced
levels of central body fat distribution (WHR), irrespective of their age and level
of generalized adiposity (BMI), compared with normotensive subjects.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
28439
URI
Publication date:
17.12.2001.
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