Association between abdominal girth and ambulatory blood pressure in patients with central obesity combined with hypertension

AIM To study the relation between abdominal girth and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring(ABPM) in patients with central obesity combined with hypertension. METHODS A retrospective study of 100 cases of central obesity combined with hypertension was conducted with 50 males and 50 females. The control group consisted of 100 hypertensive patents with no central obesity. The association between abdominal girth and ABPM was studied with a linear correlation and with partial correlation to control the influencing factors. RESULTS Males and females were age matched. Average 24-h systolic blood pressure(SBP) and average diurnal and nocturnal SBP all increased in both groups, but without statistical significance between groups(t=0.869, t=1.347, t=0.340, t=0.140, P>0.05). Abdominal girth was positively associated with average 24-h SBP, average diurnal and nocturnal SBP and average SBP max(maler=0.282, r=0.360, r=0.238, r=0.380, P<0.05; femaler=0.350, r=0.342, r=0.335, r=0.344, P<0.05). Abdominal girth was negatively associated with circadian rhythms(male r=-0.278/-0.058; female r=-0.264/-0.027, all P<0.05/P>0.05) but was positively associated with average 24-h SBP load(male r=0.339, female r=0.321, P<0.05). CONCLUSION Abdominal girth of patients with central obesity combined with hypertension is associated with SBP, SBP load and circadian rhythms, indicating abdominal girth should be controlled.