A man's risk of developing high blood pressure rises along with his weight, even when it's within normal range, according to a new study.
In a study of more than 13,000 male doctors, researchers found that the higher a man's body mass index (BMI) was at the outset, the higher his risk of developing high blood pressure over the next 15 years. This was true even among men who were normal weight or only mildly overweight.
Dr Rebecca P Gelber and colleagues at Harvard Medical School report the findings in the American Journal of Hypertension.
Numerous studies have linked excess kilos to high blood pressure, including ones showing that overweight and obese adults can lower their risk by losing weight. But the current findings suggest that, across the spectrum of normal and overweight, pounds affect blood pressure.
Dr Gelber's team found that compared with men whose initial BMI was less than 22.4, those who were 22.4-23.6 were 20 per cent more likely to develop high blood pressure over the next 15-20 years. The risk continued to climb along with the men's BMI, with overweight and obese men being 85 per cent more likely than the thinnest study participants to develop high blood pressure.