Background and objective: Obesity is a major and independent cardiovascular risk factor. The aim of this study was to know overweight and obesity distribution in a sample of Spanish high systemic pressure patients (CORONARIA study), the risk factors associated and the calculated cardiovascular risk (CR) that the overweight produces.
Material and method: 1,720 family physicians included 7,087 hypertensive patients with at least another CR factor associated. Patients were classified depending on their body mass index: its value was < 25 kg/m2 in 1,150 patients; > or = 25 and < 30 kg/m2 in 3,724 (overweight); and > or = 30 kg/m2 in 2,213 patients (obesity).
Results: 83.7% of patients showed overweight or obesity; and 36.1% of women included were obese. Overweight was significantly more prevalent in the hypertensive population of Andalucía, Murcia, Canarias and Extremadura, and less frequent than the Spanish mean in Catalonia and Asturias. Hypertensive and obese patients showed higher prevalence of diabetes than normal weight patients (34.3% vs 24%); higher levels of triglycerides; high values of systemic pressure; and lower levels of high density lipoproteins-cholesterol; all these facts raised the CR, calculated value between a 19.7% in the overweight cases and a 11.6% in the obese patients compared with normal weight patients. Heart failure was two times more prevalent in obese patients.
Conclusions: Overweight in hypertensive patients raises the cardiovascular risk by 20%, and has a strong association with diabetes and heart failure.