A new study found that not only is abdominal weight associated with high cholesterol and diabetes but also high blood pressure.
The study was published in the respected American Journal of Hypertension this month.
The study was aimed to understand the relationship between weight gain and high blood pressure, but more specifically abdominal weight gain. More than 2,300 Chinese men and women were followed for 10 years. Statistics including weight, abdominal circumferance, BMI, and blood pressure were recorded at numerous times during the study.
They found that both men and women, regardless of age, were more likely to develop high blood pressure if they had extra pounds in the abdominal area. This body type, the apple, has long been associated with chronic disease. Most recently Metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of cardiovascular risk factors and diabetes risk factors, has been at the head of the weight debate.
In this study even those individuals who had a normal BMI, but stored extra adipose tissue on their abdomens had an increased risk for high blood pressure as the pounds came on. There was a linear relationship observed between abdominal weight and high blood pressure, even after accounting for other variables that influence hypertension.
Diet and exercise can be used effectively to rid the body of unwanted pounds, though trimming the middle may prove more difficult than other areas of the body. Abdominal fat gain is also associated with stress, because the fat cells in this area tend to be more responsive to cortisol, so reducing stress may also be helpful.
Posted by Dr. Christina Gutierrez on September 27, 2006 02:21 PM
