Cerebrovascular diseases include stroke, intracranial stenosis, aneurysms, and vascular malformations; primary hypertension is typically associated with cerebrovascular disease. The incidence of these diseases is higher in men than in women, and low physical activity and obesity are known to increase the risk of cerebrovascular disease. This study aimed to longitudinally analyze the adjusted relative risk (ARR) of primary hypertension and cerebrovascular diseases, in relation to body mass index (BMI) and physical activity (PA), in Korean women. The study retrieved the data of 1,464,377 adult Korean women (aged 50-79 years), who participated in the national health screening program from 2002 to 2003. The participants had no history of primary hypertension or cerebrovascular diseases, and were followed up by the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) until 2013. The participants were divided into the following groups: normal weight (18.5-24.9), overweight (25.0-29.9), and obese (≥30.0) kg/m2, based on the World Health Organization (WHO) classification. The frequency of PA (days) was determined using a physical activity questionnaire, and defined as low (0-2), medium (3-4), and high (5-7) days. The RR was calculated using Cox regression. Three models were created based on the adjusted variables. The ARR for hypertension was 0.933 (95% CI; 0.920-0.955, p < 0.001) in obese patients with medium PA. Primary hypertension was lower (ARR: 0.943; 95% CI; 0.928-0.961, p < 0.001) in overweight participants with medium PA, than in those with low PA. The incidence of cerebrovascular disease was lower in overweight individuals with medium PA (ARR: 0.945, 95% CI; 0.925-0.976, p < 0.001), than in those with low PA. The risk of cerebrovascular disease was reduced in normal-weight participants with medium PA (ARR: 0.889; 95% CI: 0.854-0.919; p < 0.001), than in those with high PA (ARR 0.913; 95% CI; 0.889-0.953, p < 0.001). In the obese group, there was no significant difference in the risk of cerebrovascular disease, based on the frequency of PA. In conclusion, the relative risk of primary hypertension in women was lower with moderate activity than with low activity, in the normal-weight and overweight groups. The relative risk of cerebrovascular disease was lower in the participants with moderate and high activity than in those with low activity, even at normal weight. In obese individuals, moderate and high activity reduced cerebrovascular disease compared to low activity. Therefore, regardless of obesity, PA may contribute to the prevention of primary hypertension and cerebrovascular disease in adult women.
Keywords: cerebrovascular disease; obesity; physical activity; primary hypertension; relative risk.