Effect Obesity on High Blood Pressure among the Adult Males of Sri Venkateswara University Students, Tirupati, Chittoor District

Obesity is a significant risk factor in the development of several non-communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes etc in adults. It is hypothesized that obese subjects may carry high blood pressure phenotype. To test this hypothesis, a cross sectional study was undertaken among the adults of Sri Venkateswara University students and screened 490 subjects who come under inclusion criteria in a random sample design. Information on anthropometry, blood pressure and socioeconomic profiles were procured from the study participants. The mean age was 26.97±9.04 years. The prevalence of hypertension was 9.38%. The prevalence of hypertension elevated among the obese when compared to normal weight subjects (p<0.05). Blood pressure exerted positive correlation with waist hip ratio (p<0.01). Our results affirm that obesity is a significant factor in the predisposition of hypertension.