[Relationship between weight status, physical fitness levels and blood pressure components in young women].

BACKGROUND

As far as we know there are not studies that analyze jointly the relationship between obesity, cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength with blood pressure (BP).We aimed to determine the relationship between BMI and physical fitness with components of BP in young women.

METHODS

cross-sectional study in 407 women aged 18-to-30 years.

VARIABLES

weight, height, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP: DBP+[0,333× (SBP-DBP)]) and pulse pressure (PP: SBP-DBP), and physical fitness (cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength).

RESULTS

Mean age of participants was 20.1 ± 4.4 years. Mean SBP, DBP, MAP and PP were respectively: women with normal weight 108,0 ± 8.9, 67.7 ± 6.7, 81.1 ± 6.8 and 40.3 ± 6, 6 mmHg; in obese women 123.1 ± 8.9, 80.5 ± 6.2, 94.7 ± 6.5 and 42.5 ± 6.2 mmHg; in those with low aerobic capacity 110.9 ± 9.9, 70.5 ± 7.6, 84.0 ± 7.7 and 40.3 ± 7.3 mmHg, and in those with high aerobic capacity 107.4 ± 9.3, 67.0 ± 7.0, 80.4 ± 7.2 and 40.4 ± 6.6 mmHg. Muscle strength was not statistically associated with any of the components of PA (p> 0.05). In multiple linear regression models of SBP was associated with BMI and muscle strength index (p = ≤ 0.05), DBP and MAP with BMI, index of muscle strength and aerobic capacity (p = ≤ 0.05), and PP with BMI (p = <0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In young women BMI and muscle strength have a direct relationship with BP, and cardiorespiratory fitness an inverse relationship; however the latter is not associated with SBP and PP.