BMI change was associated with systolic blood pressure change for men (regression coefficient 1.43; 95% CI 1.23-1.64) and women (1.24; 95% CI 1.09-1.39); baseline BMI predicted BP change in women only.
Cohort (n=15,624)
No
Does baseline BMI and change in BMI affect blood pressure changes differently in men and women?
Increases in BMI are associated with increases in blood pressure in both sexes, but baseline obesity predicts greater subsequent blood pressure increases in women compared to men.
Effect estimate: Regression coefficient 1.43 (95% CI 1.23-1.64)
BACKGROUND: The prevalence of obesity and hypertension is increasing in Western societies. We examined the effects of initial body mass index (BMI weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) and change in BMI on change in blood pressure, and we assessed sex differences. METHODS: A general population in the municipality of Tromso, northern Norway, was examined in 1986 and 1987 and again in 1994 and 1995. Altogether, 75% of the individuals, women aged 20 to 56 years and men aged 20 to 61 years, attended the baseline examination. A total of 15,624 individuals (87% of all still living in the municipality) were examined twice. RESULTS: Mean BMI increased between the examinations, more for the younger than the older examinees, and also more among women than men (P<.001). Adjusted for several covariates, BMI change was associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure change for both sexes (regression coefficients: 1.43 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.23-1. 64 and 0.90 95% CI, 0.76-1.04, respectively, for men; and 1.24 95% CI, 1.09-1.39 and 0.74 95% CI, 0.63-0.84 for women). Baseline BMI was associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure change for women only (regression coefficients: 0.38 95% CI, 0.30-0.47 and 0.17 95% CI, 0.11-0.23, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: For women, both BMI at baseline and BMI change were independently associated with blood pressure change. For a given increase in BMI, obese women had a greater increase in blood pressure than lean women. This was not the case for men, for whom BMI change was the only significant predictor. Furthermore, a BMI increase for obese women induced a greater systolic blood pressure increase compared with men.
Wilsgaard et al. (Mon,) conducted a cohort in Obesity and hypertension (n=15,624). Body mass index (BMI) change and baseline BMI was evaluated on Change in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (Regression coefficient 1.43, 95% CI 1.23-1.64). BMI change was associated with systolic blood pressure change for men (regression coefficient 1.43; 95% CI 1.23-1.64) and women (1.24; 95% CI 1.09-1.39); baseline BMI predicted BP change in women only.