Key result
Low BMI (≤20 kg/m2) was associated with significantly increased arterial stiffness, indicated by higher pulse wave velocity, compared to normal BMI in African men (12.6 vs 11.6 m/s, p=0.001) and women.
Why the study?
Does low BMI associate with increased arterial stiffness and blood pressure in Africans with low socio-economic status?
Cross-Sectional (n=496)
Does low BMI associate with increased arterial stiffness and blood pressure in Africans with low socio-economic status?
Low BMI is inversely associated with arterial stiffness in Africans, suggesting a J-curve relationship where low BMI may contribute to increased cardiovascular risk.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Low BMI may flag higher vascular risk in low-SES Africans; hypothesis-generating for J-curve effects on arterial stiffness.
In low socio-economic status communities in South Africa, African men showed a low BMI. Data on the effect of low BMI on cardiovascular function are scant. The present study aimed to assess the associations between low BMI and markers of cardiovascular function such as pulse wave velocity (PWV) and blood pressure in Africans aged 35-65 years, with low socio-economic status. The study population (n 496) was stratified into a low-BMI group with BMI ≤ 20 kg/m² and a normal-BMI group with BMI >20 kg/m² and ≤ 25 kg/m². Blood pressure (Omron HEM-757) and PWV (Complior SP; Artech-Medical) was determined. Africans with low BMI showed an increased arterial stiffness with significantly higher PWV compared with the normal-BMI group (men: P= 0.001; women: P= 0.026), which remained after adjustment. In men with low BMI, PWV correlated negatively with BMI before (r -0.204; P= 0.012) and after (r -0.200; P= 0.020) adjustment. Forward stepwise regression analyses indicated a negative association between PWV and BMI in African men. A J-curve was evident suggesting a detrimental effect of low BMI on cardiovascular function in Africans. A low BMI may contribute to the high prevalence of cardiovascular-related morbidity and mortality within a developing country.
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Huisman et al. (2015) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy adults with low socio-economic status (n=496). Low BMI (≤20 kg/m2) vs. Normal BMI (>20 and ≤25 kg/m2) was evaluated on Pulse wave velocity (PWV) in men (p=0.001). Low BMI (≤20 kg/m2) was associated with significantly increased arterial stiffness, indicated by higher pulse wave velocity, compared to normal BMI in African men (12.6 vs 11.6 m/s, p=0.001) and women.
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