BACKGROUND AND AIM: This cross-sectional study involved the adult population (age >18 and <60 years) of a 315-shack slum on the outskirts of the city of Maceió in North-eastern Brazil. The purpose was to investigate whether short stature in adults (an indicator of undernutrition in early life) is associated with arterial hypertension and obesity. METHODS AND RESULTS: We collected the subjects socio-economic data, and arterial hypertension (AH), weight, height, waist circumference and waist/hip (W/H) circumference ratio measurements. Hypertension was diagnosed as diastolic AH f 90 mmHg and/or systolic AH f 140 mmHg. The body mass index (BMI) was used to determine nutritional status, with overweight/obesity being defined on the basis of a cut-off point of 25 kg/m2. A W/H ratio of f 0.80 for women or f 0.95 for men was considered indicative of abdominal obesity. Short stature was defined as falling into the 1st quartile (Q) of height distribution. Hypertension was prevalent in 28.5% of the population (women=38.5%; men=18.4%). The systolic and diastolic AH readings were significantly higher in women in the 1st Q than in those in the 4th Q, and the same was true of W/H. The prevalence of hypertension was statistically significant for the first two Q's in comparison with the last two: 22.1% vs 14.6% (men), and 42.4% vs 34.6% (women). Hypertension was more prevalent in women who were obese and short (50%) than in those who were obese but not short (OR=1.98; CI=1.22-2.96). CONCLUSIONS: Living conditions were extremely precarious and the prevalence of hypertension was quite high. Stature negatively correlated with hypertension and overweight in women but not in men.
BACKGROUND AND AIM: This cross-sectional study involved the adult population (age >18 and <60 years) of a 315-shack slum on the outskirts of the city of Maceió in North-eastern Brazil. The purpose was to investigate whether short stature in adults (an indicator of undernutrition in early life) is associated with arterial hypertension and obesity. METHODS AND RESULTS: We collected the subjects socio-economic data, and arterial hypertension (AH), weight, height, waist circumference and waist/hip (W/H) circumference ratio measurements. Hypertension was diagnosed as diastolic AH f 90 mmHg and/or systolic AH f 140 mmHg. The body mass index (BMI) was used to determine nutritional status, with overweight/obesity being defined on the basis of a cut-off point of 25 kg/m2. A W/H ratio of f 0.80 for women or f 0.95 for men was considered indicative of abdominal obesity. Short stature was defined as falling into the 1st quartile (Q) of height distribution. Hypertension was prevalent in 28.5% of the population (women=38.5%; men=18.4%). The systolic and diastolic AH readings were significantly higher in women in the 1st Q than in those in the 4th Q, and the same was true of W/H. The prevalence of hypertension was statistically significant for the first two Q's in comparison with the last two: 22.1% vs 14.6% (men), and 42.4% vs 34.6% (women). Hypertension was more prevalent in women who were obese and short (50%) than in those who were obese but not short (OR=1.98; CI=1.22-2.96). CONCLUSIONS: Living conditions were extremely precarious and the prevalence of hypertension was quite high. Stature negatively correlated with hypertension and overweight in women but not in men.
Authors: Richard L Guerrant; Mark D DeBoer; Sean R Moore; Rebecca J Scharf; Aldo A M Lima Journal: Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol Date: 2012-12-11 Impact factor: 46.802
Authors: Ana L Sawaya; Ricardo Sesso; Telma M de Menezes Toledo Florêncio; Maria T B Fernandes; Paula A Martins Journal: Matern Child Nutr Date: 2005-07 Impact factor: 3.092
Authors: Henriqueta D Cardoso; Edjair V Cabral; Leucio D Vieira-Filho; Adalberto Vieyra; Ana D O Paixão Journal: Pediatr Nephrol Date: 2009-07-15 Impact factor: 3.714
Authors: Cria O Gregory; Camila Corvalán; Manuel Ramirez-Zea; Reynaldo Martorell; Aryeh D Stein Journal: Public Health Nutr Date: 2007-12-20 Impact factor: 4.022
Authors: Mark D DeBoer; Aldo A M Lima; Reinaldo B Oría; Rebecca J Scharf; Sean R Moore; Max A Luna; Richard L Guerrant Journal: Nutr Rev Date: 2012-11 Impact factor: 7.110
Authors: Vinicius J B Martins; Telma M M Toledo Florêncio; Luciane P Grillo; Maria do Carmo P Franco; Paula A Martins; Ana Paula G Clemente; Carla D L Santos; Maria de Fatima A Vieira; Ana Lydia Sawaya Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2011-05-26 Impact factor: 3.390