Complex relationship between excess body weight, adiposity, and energy expenditure among populations of African origin
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In order to compare the relationship between blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) in populations of sub-Saharan Africa extraction, 13 data samples from Africa, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and the United States of America were used including a total of 18,072 participants. Multivariate regression analysis revealed a positive relationship between systolic and diastolic blood pressure and BMI. In men, the slopes for systolic blood pressure varied from 0.27 mm Hg per kg/m2 in the United States to 1.72 mm Hg per kg/m2 in Ghana, and in women, from 0.08 in South Africa to 1.32 in the Republic of Congo. Similar variations in trends were observed for diastolic blood pressure. The higher the BMI, the shallower the slopes. There were no differences after excluding subjects treated for hypertension. The authors conclude that blood pressure and BMI levels vary among populations of the black African diaspora, with the effect of BMI on blood pressure levels diminishing with increasing BMI. These results suggest a complex relationship between excess body weight, adiposity, and energy expenditure.
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