Objective: The aim of presented analysis was to determine the relationship between blood pressure (BP) and different indices of obesity in the elderly free-living population.
Design and methods: In 317 inhabitants of the randomly chosen area of Cracow (70 years old and older) who could come to the out-patient clinic for an interview, BP, weight and height were taken. Body mass index (BMI) was used to classify the population into lean (BMI < 25 kg/m2), overweight (25 < or = BMI < 30 kg/m2) and obese (BMI > or = 30 kg/m2) subjects. In order to separate the effect of adipose tissue and lean body mass, weight of total adipose tissue (AT) and lean body mass (LBM) were calculated according to the anthropometric CT-calibrated equations.
Results: Obese patients had a significantly higher systolic BP (SBP) when compared with lean subjects (respectively SBP [mm Hg] 175.7 +/- 27.5 vs 161.8 +/- 21.8), and higher diastolic BP (DBP) [mm Hg] in comparison with both other groups (obese: 93.7 +/- 12.4 vs lean: 85.34 +/- 10.6, overweight: 87.15 +/- 12.73). The relationship between systolic and diastolic BP, and weight (respectively for SBP: r = 0.256, DBP: r = 0.216), BMI (SBP: r = 0.261, DBP: r = 0.216) and AT (SBP r = 0.269, DBP r = 0.22, P < 0.01) was found only in women but not in men.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that in the elderly the importance of obesity in the pathogenesis of hypertension depends partially on gender and it may be essential in women but not in men.