A STUDY TO CORRELATE BODY FAT PARAMETERS WITH BLOOD PRESSURE IN NORMAL HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS – AN OBSERVATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Background & Objective : High blood pressure is one of the most important causes of premature death killing nearly 9.4 million people every year globally. Numerous variables are related to blood pressure, but associations are particularly strong with body size and fatness. Obesity is a complex heterogenous condition, with varying amounts of ectopic fat distribution despite similar BMI among individuals. Objective is to study the correlation of visceral fat, total body fat, subcutaneous fat, skeletal muscle mass and regional body fat with blood pressure and anthropometric parameters. Methods: Fifty healthy participants who volunteered to participate of age 18-45 years, with no history of hypertension were recruited. Height, weight, neck circumference and waist hip ratio recorded . Total body fat, visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, skeletal muscle mass, and regional body fat of arm, trunk and leg were measured by Body Fat Analyser based on Bioelectrical Impedance principle and correlated with systolic, diastolic and Mean Arterial Pressure(MAP) taken by Mercury Sphygmomanometer for statistical significance. Results: SBP(120.6± 8.62), DBP(83.39±8.60) and MAP(95.78± 8.11), are increasing with mean values of weight(63.8±15.56), neck circumference( 35.43±3.93),waist hip ratio(0.84±0.07) and BMI(23.3±4.45),total body Fat (25.2±7.84),visceral fat(6.76±5.03), subcutaneous fat(18.74± 7.17)and skeletal muscle mass(30.72±4.84). A statistically significant correlation of SBP,DBP,MAP with visceral fat (pInterpretation &Conclusion: Study reveals that there is statistically significant correlation of systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure with body fat parameters. Body Fat Analyser can be included as a primary care strategy to motivate lifestyle modifications while managing metabolic derangements due to high blood pressure.Neck Circumference can also be taken as a reliable indicator along with other anthropometric variables.