Cardiovascular risk factors in gross obesity.

In 500 obese patients (146 men, mean age 37 +/- 13 years, Broca index 147 +/- 24; 354 women, mean age 36 +/- 14 years, Broca index 151 +/- 28) cardiovascular risk factors (RF) were investigated. The most frequent RF was hypertension (71 per cent), followed by glucose intolerance (49 per cent), hypertriglyceridemia (31 per cent), hypercholesterolemia (22 per cent) and hyperuricemia (22 per cent). Only 12 per cent of the patients were without RF. These patients were younger and less obese than the patients with RF. The prevalence of RF increased with increasing age and overweight. Analysis revealed significant correlations between overweight and blood pressure, blood glucose, insulin and age. Significant correlations between age and hypertension, blood glucose cholesterol, triglycerides and overweight were detected. The correlation between overweight and the sum of all RF was higher (r = 0.35) than the one between age and the sum of all (r = 0.23). Obese patients had a high prevalence of RF. Increasing overweight and (to a lesser extent) age are both associated with increased prevalence of RF. On the basis of the prevalence of RF, patients with gross obesity (Broca index greater than around 150) were considered to be at a high risk in respect of coronary heart disease.