Adiposity and Blood Pressure

Men in the study had significantly higher mean waist circumference, body weight, and BMI than women, while women had a slightly higher waist-to-height ratio. Although adiposity-related measures were statistically significantly associated with higher blood pressure, the magnitude of the correlations was modest. Waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, and body mass index were each positively correlated with both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Underweight individuals may have lower hypertension risk than normal-weight or heavier individuals, potentially due to lower systemic adiposity and lower total peripheral resistance.