Meta-Analysis of Obesity as A Risk Factor of Hypertension

The World Health Organization defines obesity as an excessive buildup of fat that poses health hazards. It impacts more than 2 billion people, with 11% of males and 15% of women afflicted (Shariq & McKenzie, 2020). Due to its widespread occurrence, there are significant financial and health consequences, which lead to early death and a shorter life expectancy. Diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and stroke are among the metabolic and cardiovascular conditions that are strongly associated with obesity. In contrast, the global prevalence of hypertension, a critical health indicator, has skyrocketed, with estimates indicating that at least 1 billion people would be impacted by the condition by 2025 (Mohammed Nawi et al., 2021). Research continuously demonstrates the connection between hypertension and obesity in all population groups. Obesity raises the risk of hypertension in adults and children alike, irrespective of race, ethnicity, or sex. The study utilizes metal analysis to show why obesity poses a significant risk for hypertension.

Overweight adolescents had a 2.44-fold higher risk of developing hypertension than their normal-weight peers, according to a meta-analysis combining 9 primary studies. The findings are consistent with that of Manios et al. (2017), who found a substantial correlation between excessive weight in adolescents and hypertension, which includes higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Overweight obesity among teens is twice as harmful as normal-weight individuals. At the age of sixty-five, women who are obese are 51 times more likely than normal and underweight women to have elevated blood pressure. Also, Shariq and McKenzie stated in a study in the Framingham Offspring Study that they found a link between excess body fat and 78% of new cases of hypertension in males and 65% in women. For one individual, an increase in weight by 5% corresponds with a 30% growth in the incidence of hypertension. The fact is undeniable that obese teenagers live with a higher chance of hypertension, and overweight men indeed have a higher likelihood of hypertension disease than women of all ages.

Szabo et al. (2021) study suggests that those in the overweight group reported more hypertension cases than those with normal weight. In their research, they found out that there is a very strong connection between overweight in children and hypertension. Similarly, Wariri et al. (2018) reported that being overweight and suffering from hypertension during adolescence was a solid connection. Subsequently, the study of Nurussyifa Afiana Zaen (2023) shows that there is a positive link between BMI levels in teens and their probability of developing hypertension. Based on their report, the risk of hypertension rises 4. 85 mmHg for every 1-unit increase in BMI (kg/m2). In particular, Nurussyifa Afiana Zaen et al. (2023) articulate that even though the meta-analysis emphasizes how overweight teenagers are more likely to develop hypertension, it also notes that impact sizes vary, suggesting other possible contributing factors. Therefore, meta-analysis ascertains a number of these characteristics, such as advanced age, low birth weight, low physical activity, poor sleep quality, high salt and low potassium consumption, and a family history of hypertension or diabetes mellitus.

The meta-analysis describes the significant association between obesity and hypertension, stressing the variations associated with age. In particular, obese people have a three times greater prevalence of hypertension among those aged 20 to 39 compared to individuals with normal weight (Aronow, 2017). Also, overweight people have a two times greater prevalence than underweight people in a countrywide screening that includes over a million participants. Similarly, the degree of hypertension in individuals between 40 and 64 is double as high in overweight people and 50% higher in normal-weight people (Aronow, 2017). Body mass index (BMI) and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure are shown to be correlated throughout a range of BMI values in another study comprising Korean men and women. Moreover, results from the 8-year Framingham Offspring Study, which monitored persons between the ages of 20 and 49, indicate that obesity is a significant contributing factor to hypertension cases, affecting 65% of instances in women and 78% of cases in men (Aronow, 2017). The study also discovers a correlation between changes in blood pressure and changes in body fat, with very obese forties women having a seven- times greater chance of hypertension than lean women in the same age group.

Adolescent obesity is a significant health risk since it raises the possibility of acquiring life-threatening conditions like hypertension and paves the way for adult cardiovascular issues. According to a meta-analysis, adolescents who are obese compared to adolescents of normal weight have a 4.53-fold higher chance of having hypertension. The findings agree with Manios et al. (2017) on the substantial relationship between obesity and hypertension, as it affects blood pressure at both the systolic and diastolic levels. Additionally, Nurussyifa Afiana Zaen et al. (2023) demonstrate that obese adolescents exhibit a statistically significant greater risk of hypertension (OR = 5.8; p<0.001). Additionally, a family history of obesity and hypertension raises the risk. Studies consistently demonstrate that adolescents who are obese are more likely than their overweight mates to develop hypertension (Mohan et al., 2019). Hence, the meta-analysis collectively found a strong correlation between body weight and hypertension that dictates a higher risk of hypertension with a higher BMI.

Multiple studies that have been carried out among different age groups have shown a direct link between obesity and hypertension, making it one of the significant risk factors that predispose an individual to the condition. A meta-analysis discovers that youth who are obese have a higher risk of hypertension than their peers who are healthy weight. Scientific studies keep demonstrating that body mass index (BMI) is a risk factor for hypertension. Eventually, meta-analysis established that obesity is a risk factor for hypertension. Therefore, there is a need to make lifestyle modifications and implement weight management techniques to control hypertension associated with obesity. Thus, meta-analysis recommends interventions and prevention measures for hypertension associated with obesity across different age groups.