The Relation of Adiposity to Blood Pressure and Development of Hypertension: The Framingham Study

Abstract

Article1 July 1967The Relation of Adiposity to Blood Pressure and Development of HypertensionThe Framingham StudyWILLIAM B. KANNEL, M.D., F.A.C.P., NAPHTALI BRAND, M.D., JOHN J. SKINNER JR., M.D., THOMAS R. DAWBER, M.D., F.A.C.P., PATRICIA M. MCNAMARA, A.B.WILLIAM B. KANNEL, M.D., F.A.C.P.Search for more papers by this author, NAPHTALI BRAND, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, JOHN J. SKINNER JR., M.D.Search for more papers by this author, THOMAS R. DAWBER, M.D., F.A.C.P.Search for more papers by this author, PATRICIA M. MCNAMARA, A.B.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-67-1-48 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptThe existence of a relationship between hypertension and excess body weight has long been recognized (1, 2). This relationship has been demonstrated largely in cross-sectional studies observing the relation between the blood pressure level and the body weight measured at that time. Very little prospective data exist, particularly in general population samples concerning the relation between antecedent body weight and the subsequent development of hypertension. Whether it is adiposity per se or some other associated factor that is primarily responsible for the elevated blood pressure observed in the obese has not been established. The obesity-blood pressure relationship has been further...References1. PICKERING GW: High Blood Pressure. Churchill, London, 1955. Google Scholar2. SMIRK FH: High Arterial Pressure. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, 1957. Google Scholar3. DAWBERMOOREMANN TRFEGV: Coronary heart disease in Framingham Study. Amer. J. Public Health 47: 4, 1957. CrossrefGoogle Scholar4. DAWBERKANNEL TRWB: An epidemiological study of heart disease: Framingham Study. Nutr. Rev. 16: 1, 1958. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. KAGANGORDONKANNELDAWBER ATWBTR: Blood pressure and its relation to coronary heart disease in Framingham Study. Proc. Council High Blood Pressure Res. 7: 53, 1959. Google Scholar6. KANNELDAWBERKAGANREVOTSKIESTOKES WBTRANJ: Factors of risk in the development of coronary heart disease—six year follow-up experience. The Framingham study. Ann. Intern. Med. 55: 33, 1961. LinkGoogle Scholar7. PERERA GA: Primary hypertension. Circulation 13: 321, 1956. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. TROUTBERTRANDWILLIAMS KWCAMH: Measurement of blood pressure in obese persons. JAMA 162: 970, 1956. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. RAGANBORDLEY GJ: The accuracy of clinical measurements of arterial blood pressure. Bull. Hopkins Hosp. 69: 504, 1941. Google Scholar10. BERLINERFUJIYLEEYILDIZGARNIER KHDHMB: Blood pressure measurements in obese persons. Comparison of intra-arterial and auscultatory measurements. Amer. J. Cardiol. 8: 10, 1961. CrossrefGoogle Scholar11. BERLINERFUJIYHO LEEYILDIZGARNIER KHDMB: The accuracy of blood pressure determinations: a comparison of direct and indirect measurements. Cardiologia 37: 118, 1960. CrossrefGoogle Scholar12. BORDLEYCONNORHAMILTONKEERWIGGERS JCAWFWJCJ: Recommendation for human blood pressure determinations by sphygmomanometers. Circulation 4: 503, 1951. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar13. STEELE JM: Comparison of simultaneous indirect and direct measurements of arterial pressure in man. J. Mount Sinai Hosp. N. Y. 8: 1042, 1942. Google Scholar14. ROBERTSSMILEYMANNING LNJRGW: A comparison for direct and indirect blood pressure determinations. Circulation 8: 232, 1953. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar15. DAMONGOLDMAN ARF: Predicting fat from body measurements: densitometric validation of ten anthropometric equations. Hum. Biol. 36: 32, 1964. MedlineGoogle Scholar16. PICKERINGROBERTSSOWRY GWJAGS: The effect of correcting for arm circumference on the growth rate of arterial pressure with age. Clin. Sci. 13: 267, 1954. MedlineGoogle Scholar17. THOMSONDOUPE AEJ: Cause of error in auscultatory blood pressure measurements. Rev. Canad. Biol. 8: 337, 1949. Google Scholar18. WHYTE HM: Blood pressure and obesity. Circulation 19: 511, 1959. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar19. EPSTEINSIMPSONBOAS FHREP: The epidemiology of atherosclerosis among random sample of clothing workers of different ethnic origin in New York City. II. Association between manifest atherosclerosis, serum lipid levels, blood pressure, overweight, and some other variables. J. Chronic Dis. 5: 329, 1957. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar20. ROBINSONBRUCERMASS SCMJ: Hypertension and obesity. J. Lab. Clin. Med. 25: 807, 1940. Google Scholar21. THOMASCOHEN CBBH: The familial occurrence of hypertension and coronary artery disease, with observations concerning obesity and diabetes. Ann. Intern. Med. 42: 90, 1955. LinkGoogle Scholar22. BJERKEDAL T: Overweight and hypertension. Acta Med. Scand. 159: 13, 1951. CrossrefGoogle Scholar23. LEVYWHITESTROUDHILLMAN RLPDWDCC: Overweight: its prognostic significance in relation to hypertension and cardiovas