Clinical characteristics of obese patients with hypertension and chronic ischemic heart disease.

Unlabelled: Obesity is a risk factor for arterial hypertension, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Some studies reported an obesity paradox: obese patients with cardiovascular diseases have better prognosis than patients with body mass index BMI <25 kg/m2. The objective of the study was to identify the differences between the clinical characteristics of obese hypertensive patients with chronic ischemic heart disease in comparison with lean hypertensive patients with chronic ischemic heart disease.

Materials And Method: The study included 219 patients with hypertension and chronic ischemic heart disease, consecutively hospitalized in the Internal Medicine Clinic of the Clinical Emergency Hospital of Bucharest, Romania. We analyzed data from the hospital record database.

Results: 73 from the 219 patients were obese (33.33%). Of the 219 patients, 15.98% had a BMI 20-24.9 kg/m2, 50.68% BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2, 22.37% BMI 30-34.9 kg/m2, 6.84% BMI 35-39.9 kg/m2, 4.10% BMI > 40 kg/m2. The majority of obese patients were women: 67.12% women and 32.87% men. Obese patients (BMI > 30 kg/m2) had a higher prevalence of diabetes, dyslipidemia, left ventricle hypertrophy and heart failure than those with normal weight (BMI 20-24.9 kg/m2). Blood pressure control was achieved in 51.52% of normally weight patients, as compared to 34.69% of obese patients (BMI > 30 kg/m2). Diabetes was controlled in 42.85% of normally weight patients, as compared to 18.36% of obese patients.

Conclusions: In conclusion, in patients with hypertension and chronic ischemic heart disease, the clinical profile worsens as BMI increases. Also, there is an inverse relationship between control rates of arterial hypertension and diabetes and BMI. Blood pressure was uncontrolled in a high percentage of obese hypertensive patients with ischemic heart disease.