Abstract

CORRELATION BETWEEN BLOOD PRESSURE AND BODY MASS INDEX AMONG MALE AND FEMALE (12-18 YEARS) BAGDAD

*Dr. Thaaban Khlbas and Dr. Razak Ali Hassan Shamaal 

ABSTRACT

Background: In this study 1000 adolescents (12- 18) year were enrolled in different secondary schools of bagdad the period between April 26th till June 2nd 2013, the data received in a way so that to include 500 males and 500 females, 100 of them were 12 years with 150 for each other ages from 13 – 18 years. We did measure both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure in addition to calculation of their body mass index through the equation (weight /Height meter square). As a result we found that 939 (93.9%) of the cases were normotensive, 56 (5.6%) were prehypertensive and 5 (0.5%) were hypertensive. On making a correlation between body mass index and blood pressure we found that 60 (100%) of underweight student were normotensive, 765 (95.6%) of normal weight and 103 (93.6%) of the overweight were normotensive while only 11 (36.7 %) of the obese Students were normotensive. Regarding prehypertensive 35 (4.4 %) of normal weight were prehypertensive, 7 (6.4%) of overweight were prehypertensive while 14 (46.75) of obese patient were prehypertensive. Significantly all the five students (16.7%) who were in the range of hypertension were obese with body mass index of more than 95th percentile from this we concluded that there is a strong relation between high body mass index and high blood pressure (prehypertension and Hypertension). We recommend control of body weight through dietary regimen and regular physical exercise during adolescent period, as a prophylaxis against future hypertension and its complication.

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