CENTRAL OBESITY: A RISK FACTOR FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME IN SOUTH INDIAN POPULATION?

Abstract

Over weight and obesity are considered as risk factors for diabetes, hypertension and it may lead to atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Body mass index (BMI) is a diagnosing tool available currently and used widely throughout the world by the health care professionals. Recent studies reported that central obesity is an important risk factor of diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and the awareness about the central obesity is very poor among the public and health care practitioners. Based on this hypothesis, the present study was designed to investigate the comparison of overweight, obesity and central obesity risk in hypertension. A community pharmacy awareness camp was held as part of the 49^th national pharmacy week celebration in which 635 responders were examined after their consent. The patients were investigated with the help of various parameters like height, weight, BMI, waist to hip ratio (WHR), and blood pressure. With the help of BMI and Waist to hip ratio the responders were divided in to normal, overweight + obese, centrally obese groups. Comparison of mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures of normal BMI with normal WHR showed significant increase in normal WHR respondents.(116.39±4.287, 72.16±5.119, 131.59±16.62, 84.07±11.2815, P<0.05). The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures of centrally obese respondents were significantly grater than overweight+obese respondents.(131.59±16.162, 81.20±7.991, 116.85±6.346, 75.52±5.819, P<0.05). However there is no difference in random blood sugar levels between the groups.