Hypertension and Its Association with Body Fat Composition among Chinese Community in Melaka, Malaysia, Cross Sectional Study

Introduction: Obesity, high body fat percentage and hypertension could increase the mortality and morbidity due to cardiovascular diseases. These risk factors develop during childhood and adolescent period. The present study aimed at determining the association between body fat composition and BP level among the Chinese community in Melaka, Malaysia. Methodology: This is a cross-section study with the secondary data analysis of the health records of the patients who had attended the medical camps conducted in Melaka, Malaysia. The body fat and visceral fat were measured by using (Handheld Body Fat Scale Analyzer). The blood pressure measurement was done according to the Clinical Practice Guidelines, Ministry of Health, Malaysia. The participants who had systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 140 mmHg and/ or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of 90 mmHg were defined as hypertension. Results: The prevalence of hypertension among male participants was 42.5%, meanwhile, among female was 23.6%. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher among males (37%) compared to females (20.8%). Gender, body fat (%) and was found to be associated with systolic blood pressure. Visceral fat (%) was the only associated factor of diastolic blood pressure. Conclusion: This study found that body and visceral fat compositions are significantly correlated with systolic BP and visceral fat composition is significantly correlated with diastolic BP. High body and visceral fat composition should be used as a measure of increased risk for hypertension among old age peoples.